All We Ever Wanted
by fallinrain
Summary: Once upon a time a pirate and a princess fell in love and had a couple of kids. This is a collection of oneshots about their lives. The rating is for future chapters. Captain Swan, Captain LightSwan with appearances by other characters.
1. Nightmares and storms

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **A/N: If you'd told me even a few months ago that I'd end up writing fanfiction again, I wouldn't have believed it. It's been years and I thought my fanfic writing days were over. But lately I've been on such a big OUAT kick and Captain Swan is my OTP. I started getting ideas that wouldn't leave me alone, so here we** **are. This'll be a collection of oneshots. The rating is for later chapters. Hope at least someone enjoys this. :)**

 **Rating: K+**

* * *

It seemed as though the world was ending. That's how violent the storm was, what with the flashes of lightning that lit up the pitch black sky and the claps of thunder that often sounded as though someone had fired a cannon on the roof. Rain simply poured out of the sky. It was the kind of storm that made sleep nearly impossible. Especially for Storybrooke's youngest residents. Many of whom had woken up calling for their parents. Then there were those who were locked in nightmares they couldn't escape.

Such was the case for Clara Marie Jones who tossed and turned violently in her bed as she dreamed of a horde of monsters. It was a dream that she had had many a time before. She dreamed that she was stuck in the muddy bank of a raging river that was so dark that it looked like black ink. A river that the monsters who trying to drag her into. In her dream, she reached out and tried to find purchase in the thick mud.

It was no use.

Her feet were in the water now and it was freezing. She called out for help, but no one answered. Not her father. Not her mother. Not either of her siblings. It was just her and her monsters and that terrifying river. Her fingers left tiny trenches in the thick mud as she was pulled farther and farther in. Clara took a deep gulp of air.

And woke up screaming.

The dream had been so vivid, as all of her nightmares were. She could still feel the mud under her fingertips. She could feel the claws of those awful monsters tearing at her. She could feel the iciness of the water. It was always like this. It always took her a while to come out of the dream completely. As if the nightmares never wanted to let her go.

Slowly, too slowly, the nightmare started to fade. She clutched her beloved stuffed duck, Jolly, as she looked around her room with wide eyes. She gasped for air as her heart pounded inside her chest. Tears were streaming down her face as she realized that she was not, in fact, in a river but in her own bed. The realization did little to calm her down. Not when she could remember everything so clearly. Not when the rain and thunder made it sound like her house was surrounded by monsters.

Clara scrambled out of her bed, hugging Jolly tightly to her chest and made for her bedroom door. Only to skid to a stop as she heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. She let out a terrified screech as she ran towards her closet instead, sliding the door open and diving inside. She took a moment to slide it back closed before scooting into the corner, convinced that one of her monsters had snuck into the house and was coming for her. She clamped her hands over her face and rocked back and forth. Maybe this was it. Maybe her nightmares were finally coming true.

* * *

"Bloody hell." Killian Jones muttered as he peered out into the storm. He'd been lounging on their living room couch attempting to read when his wife had called to say that she was going to wait out the storm at her parents' house. Emma had gone out to dinner with her mother and Henry was staying with Regina for the week so it'd just been Killian and his and Emma's two daughters: Catalina and Clara. Aged six and four, respectively.

It'd been a fun evening - at least until this blasted storm had started. They'd had a nice dinner that was followed by a viewing of the animated version of _Cinderella_ and then it came time for the girls to go to bed. Teeth were brushed and faces were washed and then he'd read them a story before tucking them into their respective beds.

By Killian's estimation, they had been asleep for about an hour before the storm started. Before all hell had broken loose outside. He shook his head at the rain, trying to remember the last time he'd seen a storm this bad. He briefly considered going back to his book, but thought better of it and decided to check on his girls instead. It was only a matter of time before the storm woke one or both of them. He'd just put his foot on the first step when he heard a scream.

His heart leaped up into his throat as he took the stairs two at a time. The following scream chilled him to the bone as he raced to Clara's room. He knew that it'd been her who had screamed. Catalina was certainly no stranger to bad dreams, but Clara's were altogether different. They'd started when she was around two years old and had quickly gotten bad enough that they'd been forced to turn to Archie, hoping that he'd be able to help their little girl.

Night terrors. That's what Archie called them. Their sweet Clara was being plagued by night terrors, though they hadn't been able to pinpoint what had made them start. It'd been nearly two years and none of them knew how to make them stop. There were things they could do to help, however.

"If she wants to talk about her dreams, let her. But don't push," Archie had told them. "Forcing her to talk about them won't help. It's easier said than done, but when she has these dreams, she needs you to stay calm. Just let her know that you're there for her. She needs reassurance. She needs to know that she's safe. That she's loved." At this point, Archie had given them a sympathetic smile. "That should be easy for you two. You're good parents. These dreams aren't your fault."

Remembering Archie's advice, Killian forced himself to take a deep breath as he flung open Clara's door. Staying calm was easier said than done. It was hard not to panic once either of them heard Clara scream. For such a small child, her lungs were shockingly powerful. Her screams were bloodcurdling. His baby was far too young to know this kind of fear. "Clara?" It took a concentrated effort not to shout.

Killian switched on her ceiling light as he scanned the room, noting that her bed was empty. Another deep breath. "Clara?" He bent down to peer under the bed. No Clara. His head shot up as he heard a whimper coming from the closet. He should've guessed.

"Clara, are you in here?" He slid open the closet door and crouched down. His heart sank as he spotted his little girl curled up in a little ball in the corner, trembling with her hands covering her face. "Oh my sweet girl," he murmured sadly. He inched closer, approaching her the way one might approach a wounded animal. "Clara, it's Daddy. You're safe now."

Killian watched as she slowly lowered her hands and eyes nearly identical to his own peeked out at him. "Daddy?" she asked, her voice shaking as she studied him. He gave her a small smile as her face lit up with recognition. "Daddy!" She flung herself into his arms and buried her face against his shoulder, sobbing.

At terrifying as her screams were, this might actually be the worst part of the night terrors, in his opinion. The moment when she completely dissolved into tears. Archie had said that the tears weren't necessarily a bad thing; it was a way for her to purge the dream out of her system. The Cricket might have been right about that, but damn if that made it any easier to watch.

Killian had experienced all sorts of terrible things in his lifetime, but if there was one thing that could bring him to his knees it was the sound of any of his girls crying.

He couldn't take it. Especially not when they were born of such horror. It made him feel helpless and Killian hated feeling helpless. Her grip on him tightened.

"Ssh, it's all right now, darling. You're all right. It wasn't real," he said softly. "It was just a dream." He ran his hand down her dark brown locks soothingly. "A horrible, scary dream, I know. But it's over now. You're safe now. I'm here." He kissed the top of her head. "Daddy's got you."

He began rocking her, the storm nearly forgotten as he focused his attention on calming his daughter. She slowly stopped trembling and her sobs became quieter, much to his relief. He carefully pried her away after another minute or two, just enough so that he could see her face.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, bringing his hand to her face so he could gently wipe away some of her tears. She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment while she considered his question. Killian waited patiently, heeding Archie's advice not to push.

"There were m-monsters," she said quietly, her voice shaking on some of the words. "A bunch of them. Th-they were trying to p-pull me into the water." A violent shudder shook her small frame. "It was c-cold and the ground was m-muddy. I c-called for help, but you d-didn't come." Her lip quivered. "You didn't come."

"Oh Clara." He hugged her close again and struggled to speak over the lump in his throat. "I'm sorry." It was his turn to whisper. "I'm so sorry, darling."

"It's okay," she said after a moment. "Y-you're here now."

"Aye, lass," he agreed, drawing her back so he could see her face again. "I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere."

"P-promise?" Her voice sounded so small to his ears.

"I promise," he assured her. He was rewarded with a tiny smile.

"I love you, Daddy." Four words that he would never tire of hearing.

"Not as much as I love you, little one." He kissed her forehead, smiling when she responded by hugging him again.

"Daddy?"

Killian looked up at the sound of his elder daughter's voice. He turned his head to find Catalina standing in her sister's doorway, a concerned expression on her face. While Clara had inherited his own coloring, Catalina had taken after her mother. She had the same blonde hair, the same green eyes and the same smile. She looked exactly how Killian imagined Emma had looked at that age.

"Yes, love?" He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised to see her awake. The storm was still raging, after all, though it seemed slightly less violent than before. Not to mention the way Clara had been screaming. If anything, it was a wonder she hadn't woken sooner. Maybe she had, but he'd been took preoccupied with calming Clara to realize it. "Did the storm wake you?"

She hesitated a moment before shaking her head, her gaze flickering over to her sister. So it had been Clara's screams that had done it. "The storm didn't help," she offered.

"No, I imagine it didn't." He smiled at her. "But it does seem to be calming down." No sooner had the words left his mouth when there was a clap of thunder so loud that it made all three of them jump. Clara let out a shriek and Killian extended his left arm out just in time for Catalina to come rushing into it. She flung one arm around him and the other around her sister. "Okay, so maybe I was wrong." He said it brightly, hoping to ease the tension a bit.

"I hate storms!" Catalina exclaimed.

"Me too," Clara put in. "They bring out the monsters."

"Aw Clara," Catalina said sympathetically. There were so many things that to love about his eldest daughter, but one of Killian's favorites was the way she cared about her little sister. She'd ignore her own fear to help Clara with hers. "It'll be okay! Have you forgotten? Our Daddy is Captain Hook! Those monsters are no match for him."

As it happened, Killian had been attacked by a number of monsters over the years. Some of which had almost killed him, but better to keep that thought to himself. He was touched by the vote of confidence all the same. "That's right. No monster would dare to step foot or tentacle in my house," he declared. "A good captain keeps his crew safe and I am a very good captain."

"You're the best captain!" Catalina corrected.

"Well, I don't know if I'd go that far," he began. "But if you want to, who am I to argue?" He shot Catalina a wink, making her giggle. "Now. I don't suspect that I'll be able to get either of you back to sleep anytime soon. So there's only one thing to do."

"What?" Catalina asked, intrigued.

"Gather up all the pillows and blankets we can find and build a fort in the living room, of course," he answered matter-of-factly.

"A fort? Are you serious?" Catalina wrinkled her nose. Clara stayed silent as she looked back and forth between her father and sister.

"What's wrong with a fort, may I ask?" Killian challenged.

"Daddy." It came out on a sigh. "Why build a fort when we can build a pirate ship instead?" She smirked at him, making him grin. She may have been a smaller version of Emma, but that expression? That was all him.

"Spoken like a true pirate," he said, proudly. "That's my girl. A pirate ship it is!"

"Yay!" Catalina cheered. "You'll have to be the captain, but can I be your first mate?"

"You would be an excellent first mate," he told her. She beamed at him. So far this distraction had worked to take Catalina's mind of the storm, but Killian wasn't sure if it was helping Clara or not. She had stopped crying, which was good, but she'd made no move to let go of him.

Par the course with her night terrors. After the screams and with the tears came the clinginess. Archie had felt that this, too, was normal. After the scariness of the dream, she wanted the security of knowing she was safe. So she'd cling onto whichever parent she wanted until she felt safe enough to let go. Sometimes it didn't seem to matter; she'd just hold onto whomever was the closest. Other times there'd be one of them she'd want in particular. Then there were the times where the dream had been so bad that she wanted them both.

That suited both him and Emma just fine. Truth be told, the cuddles seemed to help them almost as much as it helped her. He ran his hand down her hair again. "What about you, darling? Who do you want to be?" Unsure, Clara shot a look at her sister who was all too happy to help.

"She's the Pirate Princess," Catalina supplied. "And we're taking her to see the Pirate Queen."

"Mommy?" Clara asked.

"Mommy," Catalina confirmed, though this made her frown. "Daddy? Where _is_ Mommy?"

"She's waiting out the storm at Grandma and Grandpa's," Killian told them, wincing when Clara's face fell. "She's okay. Mommy's safe," he assured her. "She may end up having to spend the rest of the night over there, but she'll be back in the morning."

"I hate storms," Clara pouted. "I want Mommy!" Uh oh.

"That's why we're making the pirate ship," Catalina cut in before Killian could speak. "So we can sail to Mommy. It might take all night, that's all." A pause as Catalina watched her sister. "Don't worry, Clara. Daddy won't let anything happen to our Pirate Princess." She reached up to wipe away a tear that had escaped and was rolling down Clara's cheek. "And I won't either."

* * *

"What a storm that was, huh?" It was early the next morning and Emma had just gotten home. The storm had stopped sometime after midnight, but it'd started raining again while Emma was driving home. She'd darted into the house and was hanging up her jacket as she spoke. She'd seen the living room light on and had assumed that Killian was already awake.

"If I'd have known it was going to be that bad, I would've had dinner with Mom some other time." Emma headed into the living room, surprised into silence by the sight that greeted her.

It looked as if every pillow and blanket they owned had been piled up into a somewhat triangular formation on the floor in front of the couch. Killian and their two daughters were fast asleep in the middle of it. The girls were in pajamas, but Killian was still wearing what he'd worn the day before which told Emma that the storm must have woken the girls up before he'd gotten the chance to go to bed. This must have been his way to try to make them feel better.

Killian's hook and brace had been discarded on the couch behind them. He had Clara curled up against his left side and Catalina against his right. Clara's small hand was wrapped around his necklace as if to keep him anchored in place. Something Emma was prone to do herself. Clara's beloved Jolly was on his stomach between the two sisters. Killian had his arms wrapped around his girls protectively and his head rested against Catalina's.

The sweet scene before her made Emma smile even as tears pricked her eyes. Unable to resist, she dug her phone out of her jeans pocket and snapped a few pictures. Satisfied, she set her phone down on one of the end tables before nudging Killian's foot with her own. She knelt down as she waited for him to wake.

He woke slowly, his first instinct to check on each of his daughters before looking up. A sleepy smile crept across his face as he drank in the sight of his wife. "Hello beautiful."

"Hey handsome," she responded, her smile widening. "What's all this?" She gestured to the pile of blanket and pillows with her hand.

"Why, it's a pirate ship, love," he informed her. "And you call yourself my wife." He gave her a look of mock disapproval. She chuckled as she shifted to take off her shoes.

"Well, in that case," she started. "Permission to board, Captain?"

"Of course. The Pirate Queen is always welcome on my ship," he answered. Emma lifted an eyebrow as she settled in behind Clara, keeping herself propped up on her elbow so she could look at him.

"I'm the Pirate Queen now?" she asked, amused.

"That's right. I'm the Captain of this here vessel and this," He patted Catalina's shoulder. "Is my first mate and this," A nod to Clara. "Is the Pirate Princess who we are taking to see the Queen. To find you."

"I see." Emma looked over her girls for a moment before speaking again. "The storm?"

"The storm," Killian confirmed. "And I'm afraid to say that it gave our Pirate Princess one of her bad dreams." Emma frowned, her gaze shifting to her youngest daughter.

"I knew I should've stayed home," she sighed. "How bad was it?"

"Bad, but she's okay. Emma." He waited for her to meet his eyes again. "She's okay."

"I hate these dreams, Killian," she sighed.

"I know," he said gently. "I do too. But at least this one is behind us. She seems to be sleeping peacefully enough."

"Yeah, because she's holding onto her Daddy," she said.

"Well, maybe that helps a bit," he said, with a small smile.

"A lot. It helps her a lot," Emma corrected him. She studied him for a moment. "Killian?" He lifted his eyebrows in response. "Thank you."

"For what, love?" He asked, sounding a little confused.

"For being the kind of Daddy who will build his girls a pillow ship in the middle of the night to comfort them during a storm," she said tenderly, reaching over Clara to press her hand to his cheek. "And then letting them use him as a pillow." She waited a beat. "I think I'll keep you."

"I would despair if you didn't." He turned his head to kiss her palm. "It's still pretty early yet. How about we get a little more sleep?"

"Sounds good to me." Emma shifted until she found a comfortable position and settled her arm around Clara. The movement caused her to stir.

"Mommy?" She mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

"Yes, baby, I'm here now," Emma assured her.

"We're both here," Killian added. "Go back to sleep, darling. We've got you."


	2. Catalina Pearl (1)

**Disclaimer: With the exception of Catalina and Clara, I own nothing.**

 **A/N: Thank you so much to anyone who took the time to read the first oneshot! As you might have guessed from the title, this one is all about Catalina. Really just an extended introduction to her and a couple of snippets of her life so far. :)**

 **Rating: K**

* * *

A brief summary of the life of Emma and Killian's eldest daughter Catalina Pearl, thus far.

The day they find out that they're having a baby is easily one of the best days of their lives. It's also one of the scariest. They've been through so much, the two of them. They've battled against evil so many times. They've battled the darkness. They've had to fight to both be and stay together. But this is completely new for both of them.

Neither one of them knows what it's like to raise a child from birth. Emma doesn't count the false memories of raising Henry that Regina gave her back when they had to deal with Pan's curse as real experience. Killian argues that she's still better equipped to handle this than he is.

In any event, they're both so scared of messing up. Scared of ruining this child's life. They keep their fears to themselves at first. Both because they're scared to voice them out loud and because neither wants to worry the other.

Until one day when Killian asks her how she's feeling and her hormones get the better of her and all of her fears come gushing out. Killian sits and listens to them all; he's good at that. When she finishes, he lets out a huge sigh of relief and responds by telling her that he's so relieved that it wasn't just him.

They stare at each other for a few beats. Then Emma starts to laugh as she asks him just who is supposed to raise their baby since both of them are too scared to do it. The scary thing is that she's half joking, but half serious and he starts to laugh with her. It's all so ridiculous and so not like them and that just makes it all the more weirdly hilarious. Pretty soon they're both hovering at the edge of hysteria.

This is the scene Henry walks in on when he comes from Regina's to spend the week with them.

He ends of being the one who calms them down. He reminds them of everything they've overcome and tells them that if they could beat all of those things, they can raise this baby. And they'll do it the same way they do everything else: together.

He then starts talking about how he's been Googling baby names that have to do with the sea because how could his future little sibling's name not involve the sea? By then they know it's a girl. A sweet baby girl who will be born from the true love between a princess and a pirate. Of course she's going to end up loving the sea. His searching led him to the name Catalina which makes him think of royalty.

Henry also learns that the name can refer to a yacht or the island that it's going to and that gets him thinking about the Jolly Roger. About that time when his mother reminded Killian that he is still capable of caring about other people. Which resulted in him taking Emma and the rest of Henry's family to Neverland to find Henry and bring him home.

In Henry's mind, that was the first big step the three of them took towards becoming a family. If there's one thing he's learned from his grandfather, Rumplestiltskin, it's the power of a name. So in his mind Catalina was the perfect name for his sister because of what it represents.

Killian repeats the name with a thoughtful expression on his face and it sounds like music to Emma's ears. "Catalina Jones," she says it next, a smile spreading across her face at the sound of it. They think it's perfect.

The family decides on Pearl as her middle name because pearls are the jewels of the ocean and their little girl will undoubtedly be a jewel herself.

Okay, so at this point, maybe they're all being really sappy and emotional but none of them cares. Because as cool as Henry tries to play it, he's super excited about becoming a big brother. And as scared as Emma and Killian are, they're still so incredibly happy to be having a baby.

* * *

When the big day finally comes, Killian finds himself equal parts stunned and proud of all the creative curses that Emma throws his way while in labor. He takes them in stride. She was in the process of giving birth to his daughter, after all. He's so grateful and so full of love for her for that. Just when he thinks he couldn't love her any more, he does. She's good at that.

When Dr. Whale asks Killian if he'd like to cut the cord, he has to take a second to will his hand to stop shaking enough so he can. Emma, meanwhile, doesn't think she's ever been more impatient than when she's waiting for someone to put her baby in her arms. And when they do, it feels as though time has completely stopped. For those first few moments, it's as if no one else exists except for her and her beautiful daughter. And she's _so_ beautiful.

She's beautiful and perfect and Emma had never loved anyone so fiercely or so quickly in her entire life. She's exhausted, but so very happy. She has her baby, her sweet little Catalina, in her arms and the man of her dreams by their side. As moments go, this one is pretty damn spectacular.

She looks up at Killian with a huge grin on her face as she asks what he thinks of their daughter and wasn't she just so perfect? Her smile fades a bit when he doesn't answer. It's as if he has fallen into a trance, as if he's been struck by a powerful spell. In a way he has. Emma watches him drink in the sight of their daughter and it becomes clear to her that he didn't answer because he wasn't capable of speech at the moment.

Emma's been crying happy tears ever since Catalina was placed in her arms and now a fresh wave fills her eyes. She's watching her husband fall in love with another woman and it's one of the most beautiful things she's ever seen. The look on his face is one of pure love and wonder. He's completely awestruck by this, their precious little girl. "Killian." Emma says his name in a whisper and he looks at her with shining eyes. She nods towards their baby. "We did good, huh, Captain?"

"Aye. We did." His voice is creaky when he answers and he's amazed that he could even get the words out. He looks back at his daughter's face and can't believe that she's his. His and Emma's. "She's perfect, Swan. She...she's perfect." His voice breaks on the last word as he reaches out to gently touch his daughter's cheek. His breath catches in his throat when she grabs his finger with her tiny fist.

"All the things I've done in my life," Killian begins, keeping his voice soft so as not to disturb his little princess. "All the people I've hurt, all the things I've spent so much time regretting..." He shakes his head. "I wouldn't change any of it. Because they brought me to this moment. They brought me to you. They brought her to us and she's perfect."

He turns his gaze to Emma, his eyes bright with happiness. "I wouldn't change any of it. I love you so much, Swan." He pressed his lips to hers in a brief, but loving kiss. "And you." He looks back at their baby. "I love you too, my little one. Daddy loves you so much."

* * *

When Henry meets his little sister, it makes him realize just how badly he's wanted a sibling. He vows right then and there to be the best big brother he can be to her.

As for Mary Margaret and David, when they meet their granddaughter it's like going back in time. Catalina looks exactly like Emma did when she was born. It makes them regret, yet again, that they hadn't been able to watch Emma grow up. But they're determined to be a big part of their granddaughter's life. And they are.

* * *

The first year of Catalina's life was a wonderful one. Sure, it'd caused all kinds of sleepless nights for Emma and Killian, but having this little girl in their lives makes it all worth it. It's safe to say that Catalina is one of the most loved little girls in all the realms. For all of their fears, Emma and Killian are doing a great job as parents.

Though every now and then, things get weirdly competitive. Like when Catalina is about a year old and on the verge of walking for the first time. They're sitting on their living room floor watching as Catalina uses the coffee table to pull herself to her feet. Killian suggests that they each try calling her to them to see which parent she'll walk towards.

"What, to prove which one of us she loves more?" she asks him. "Killian, she's not a puppy. This is silly."

"Spoken like someone who knows she's gonna lose," Killian says lightly, flashing a cheeky smirk in her direction.

"Oh, is that what you think?" she asks with a laugh. "I was actually trying to spare you the disappointment for when _you_ lose."

"Please, she adores me," Killian scoffs good naturedly. "All you Jones women do."

"Okay, I won't argue with that," Emma acknowledges, unable to wipe the smile from her face. "But I'm her mother. Of course she'll come to me."

They look at each other for a moment and then it's on. "Come here, baby, come see Mama," Emma cooes to her daughter.

"Don't listen to your mother," Killian interjects. "Come here to Daddy."

This is the scene that Henry walks in on. "What are you guys doing?" he asks them. Emma and Killian glance behind them at him.

"Isn't it obvious, lad?" Killian asks, eyebrow lifting. "We're trying to see who your sister loves more."

"Seriously, you guys? That's so..." Henry trails off as he watches his baby sister take a couple of shaky steps forward. "Guys!" He exclaims, pointing at Catalina. She's unsteady and a little wobbly on her feet, but the family watches in proud amazement as she toddles towards her parents.

And then between them.

To Henry.

He crouches down just in time to catch Catalina as she loses her balance and tumbles into him. "Good job, Catalina!" Henry praises her. He shoots a smirk at a somewhat stunned Emma and Killian. "Sorry guys. Looks like I'm her favorite." His smirk turns into a goofy grin as he looks back at his sister who is beaming at him. "As if there was any doubt."

* * *

Now at the age of six, Catalina has grown from a baby into a beautiful child. Her resemblance to her mother is still so strong that Emma sometimes refers to her daughter as her mini-me.

Catalina makes Killian think of the sun. She has such a naturally sunny disposition that has a way of winning anyone over. Even the most cynical Storybrooke residents can't help but smile when they see her. She may have her mother's looks, but she also has her daddy's charm.

She's a carefree child, a social butterfly, confident in the knowledge that she is loved. She loves to run and dance, especially if it's with her father. She wants to be just like her mother when she grows up. True to her name, she loves the sea and the Jolly Roger.

She loves both of her grandparents, but David's her favorite. Whenever she sees them, he's who she runs to first. Emma loves watching them together because they're not just grandfather and granddaughter; they're buddies.

When Emma becomes pregnant with Clara, they worry that Catalina will be jealous but it turns out they had nothing to worry about. Catalina loves her little sister from the beginning. She's two years older and takes her role as big sister seriously. She's sweet and compassionate in general, but especially when it comes to Clara. She's constantly concerned with how her sister is feeling, always happy to entertain or comfort as needed.

The sisters Jones make quite a pair. In many ways, they're like opposite sides of the same coin. So alike in some ways and so different in others. If Catalina is like the sun, Clara is like the moon. Emma and Killian think that Catalina would do just about anything for her baby sister and it makes them love her all the more.

Catalina seems to be made up of the best parts of both of them. She is truly half Swan and half Jones; part princess and part pirate. Just when her parents don't think they can adore her any more, they do. She's good at that.


	3. Snow White to the rescue

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for Catalina.**

 **A/N: As always, thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read, favorite or review. I really appreciate that! I'll be posting a one shot about Clara in the same vein as the one about Catalina, but wanted to get this one up first.** **I got to thinking about Killian's hook and what he would do about it if/when he ever had kids. My first thought was that a hook and a baby sounds like a really dangerous combination and in most cases it obviously would be. Then I thought about how long he would've been wearing it by this point and really believe he'd be lost without it. I actually think he'd somehow figure it out, but I think he'd struggle with it and well, that led to this oneshot. That and my wish that we'd gotten more scenes between Killian and Snow on the show. This is basically just some son-in-law/mother-in-law fluff. Hope you like it!**

 **Rating: K**

* * *

"Can you believe he still wears that awful thing?" A woman said, a sound of derision coming from her throat.

"I know," another woman scoffed. "The man's a father, for heaven's sake!"

"That hook was bad enough before, but I thought he'd stop wearing it once he had kids," the first one said.

"He does have that prosthetic hand," the second woman commented. "I've seen him with it."

"If he was any kind of father, he would wear that prosthetic all the time," the first one said.

Mary Margaret could feel the anger emanating from her daughter at the conversation taking place beside them. Truth be told, the women were making her angry as well. There was only one person they could have been talking about, after all. The only man in Storybrooke who had a hook for a hand.

Killian Jones was standing near the edge of the playground with David as they watched their children playing. Emma and Mary Margaret had opted to sit instead and had been chatting about this and that while not paying much attention to the pair of women seated on the bench next to theirs. That had changed when they started talking about the hook. Or more specifically, Killian.

Most of Storybrooke had accepted Killian as one of theirs, but not everyone had. For some of them it was because they refused to see him as anything other than a villain, no matter how many heroic things he did. Then there were those who simply couldn't get past the hook.

It was funny. Mary Margaret hardly gave the hook much thought anymore. The family had long since gotten over any issue they might have had with it initially. And while it was true that both Mary Margaret and David had had some reservations about Killian in the beginning, it'd never been about the hook itself. Shoot, David had been more worried when Killian had briefly had two hands again.

Most people didn't realize it because they didn't realize just how long Killian had been alive, but by this point in his life he'd had the hook longer than he'd had his hand. It was truly a part of him in a way that people who didn't know him couldn't even begin to understand.

Here's what those women didn't know: Killian actually had stopped wearing his hook during the first several months of Catalina's life. Emma had been surprised when Killian had told her his decision a handful of weeks before her due date. So surprised that her initial reaction had been _why_?

He'd responded by saying that one of the nurses at the hospital had asked him how he planned to safely take care of a baby with it during one of Emma's checkups. It had planted a seed of doubt in his head. One that had apparently taken root.

Emma had tried to reassure him, but his mind was made up. "It's a weapon, Emma," he'd said firmly. "I can't have this," he'd lifted his hook up, "around our baby. I couldn't live with myself if I hurt our child."

It had sufficiently thrown Emma for a loop at first, but then it had slowly started to make sense. Killian had always struggled with not feeling good enough. He hadn't felt good enough for her and he hadn't felt good enough for his then unborn child. She'd decided to let it go, figuring that this was something that he'd need time to sort through.

And so once Catalina was born, he'd put the hook away and had managed without it. At first. The trouble was he'd seemed lost without it. So much so that Emma had eventually dug it out of the box he'd put it in and handed it to him. "You're not you without it," she'd said. "Besides, I like the hook. I _miss_ the hook."

Killian's solution had been to go back to wearing his hook - just not around his daughter. It wouldn't have been such a big deal to her if not for the fact that Killian could do so much more with his hook than he could without it. The fact that he hadn't trusted himself not to hurt their daughter bothered her more than she could say. She had faith in her husband, but he'd lost it in himself.

Ultimately, it had been Mary Margaret who had changed his mind. Emma and Killian had invited Mary Margaret, David and Neal over for dinner. Emma and David had been in the kitchen chopping up some vegetables for dinner while Henry had been keeping Neal entertained. Mary Margaret, meanwhile, had been cooing over her granddaughter when Killian had returned home after taking care of some things on the Jolly Roger...

* * *

Catalina let out a happy gurgling sound as she heard her father's voice. Mary Margaret went over to hand her over to Killian, but he stopped her. "Better let me take this off first," he said as he started to remove the hook.

"No." Emma looked up, startled by her mother's response.

"What?" Killian asked, surprised.

"You need to learn how to take care of your daughter while wearing your hook," she answered. She set Catalina down in the bassinet the family kept in the living room. "I know my daughter has pointed this out to you, but you're not you without it."

"But I never wore it _all_ the time," Killian started, but Mary Margaret lifted a hand to stop him.

"No, you didn't," she acknowledged. "But you wore it a lot. It's a part of you. You tried going without it completely and that didn't work for you. That's why you started wearing it again. That was the right decision for you, Killian. Like I said, it's a part of you."

"It's easy enough to remove," he tried again.

"I know that. I wouldn't push if you were happy without it, but you aren't. You didn't give it up because you didn't want to wear it anymore. You stopped wearing it because you stopped trusting yourself. You stopped believing in yourself, Killian, and that's not okay," she said.

"I don't want to hurt her," he said quietly. Mary Margaret's face softened.

"I know that," she smiled at him then. "Which is exactly why I don't believe you will. I think. No," she stopped herself. "I _know_ that you can do this. You don't have to be afraid of hurting her."

"I didn't realize everyone was so attached to the hook," he said it as a joke, but she didn't laugh.

"We're your family, Killian. We love you. Your hook is a part of you, so yes, we love your hook." She surprised him by reaching for it. Emma was pretty much been the only other person who ever touched his hook. "You have to think, Killian. There's going to be times when it's just you and Catalina. What happens if you need to pick her up? What happens if you need to pick her up right away for some reason?"

"That's why I started wearing the prosthetic all the time," he began, but again she cut him off.

"And that didn't work for you," she pointed out. "Which is why you have to think about this. Here." Emma and David watched as Mary Margaret pulled Killian's hook right over Catalina, the pointed side facing the ceiling. Killian tensed up as she let go. "Let's just see what she does. Okay?"

"Okay." Killian sounded uncertain, though he kept his arm still. He opened his mouth to ask just what Mary Margaret thought Catalina would do, but then his daughter did it. She reached up and grabbed the curved part of the hook.

"There you see?" Mary Margaret looked delighted. "She trusts you."

"I...I don't know about that," he was still unsure, still not convinced. His daughter made another happy gurgling sound as she held on.

"Stop doubting yourself," Mary Margaret urged him. "Look at her. She's not afraid. She knows you won't hurt her." She watched the smile spread across her son-in-law's face and her own widened. "Now pick her up." His smile faltered.

Mary Margaret placed an encouraging hand on his shoulder. "Killian. Your daughter trusts you. Your wife trusts you. I trust you. Everyone here trusts you. You can do this."

"Come on, Killian," Emma and David whispered at the same time. They glanced at each other, laughing a little at themselves before turning their attention back to Killian and Mary Margaret.

"Think it through," Mary Margaret was saying. "How do you pick her up with your prosthetic?"

"Well, I kind of have to scoop her up a little first," Killian explained.

"So you can slide your left arm underneath her, right?" She asked.

"Right," he nodded. "I have to support her weight with my left arm so that I'm still able to use my hand."

"Show me." Killian glanced at her, bolstered by the smile she gave him. He angled his arm so his hook was pointed away from Catalina and took a deep breath.

"No sudden movements, okay, lass?" This question was directed to his daughter, who seemed to somehow sense the importance of this moment and stayed still for him. It took some maneuvering; Mary Margaret watched him closely as he worked it out. And cheered when he finally held his daughter securely in his arms.

"I did it." He sounded so stunned that it made Mary Margaret laugh.

"I never doubted you for a second." She beamed at him. "I knew you could do it and you did." She reached up to put both her hands on his face. "I am so proud of you." She watched as a look of wonder and something else she couldn't quite identify washed over her son-in-law's face. "What?"

"No, it's just..." he trailed off.

"Just what?" Her brow furrowed in confusion. "What's the matter?"

"It's just that I was so young when my mother passed away. I...I don't remember her very well. And I just." He shook his head, feeling foolish. "Forgive me. It's not important."

"Are you sure about that?" She asked, tilting her head.

"I don't remember my mother very well," he repeated. "And I was just a boy when my father abandoned my brother and I, and well, I grew accustomed to not having any parents." He flushed slightly.

"I've never known what it's like to have a parent be proud of me and you..." Killian shook his head. He'd sufficiently embarrassed himself and probably Mary Margaret as well, but he'd already gone this far. Might as well say the rest. "I've never known what it meant to have a mother. Not...not until you. And to hear you say that you're proud of me, well." He forced himself to look into her eyes, which were shining. "I love you, Mary Margaret."

"Oh," she said breathlessly. The tears slid down her cheeks as she smiled at him. "I love you too, Killian. And of course, I am proud of you. _So_ proud. Not just for overcoming your fear of holding your daughter while wearing your hook, but of the man you've become. I'm so glad that you're my son-in-law."

"Oh," Emma sniffled from her spot in the kitchen, overcome by what she'd just witnessed. "Well, that was something, huh?" She directed the question to David. When he didn't answer, she looked over in time to see him wipe at his eyes. "Dad," she said, incredulous. "Are you crying?"

"Don't be ridiculous," he scoffed, though his voice was thick. "It's the onions, that's all."

"Oh right. The onions," Emma smirked, glancing down at his cutting board. "You, um, do know that you're cutting carrots, right?"

* * *

That had been the turning point. It had taken some time and effort, but Killian had figured it out. He could, in fact, take care of his daughters. Even while wearing his hook.

"It's only a matter of time before he stabs ones of his daughters with that thing," the first woman was saying. Emma opened her mouth to respond, but Mary Margaret beat her to it.

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" Mary Margaret asked.

"What?" The woman responded, stupidly.

"I was just wondering what you said. Because it _sounded_ like you said that you think that it's only a matter of time before that man," Mary Margaret gestured to Killian, "stabbed one of his daughters. Did I hear you correctly?"

"Well, yes, but what do you care?" The woman asked.

"I care because that man is my son-in-law," Mary Margaret said simply. "And he happens to be a wonderful father. One who would never even think of hurting either of his girls. So you can kindly take your opinion and keep it to yourself."

An awkward silence followed before the woman and her friend gathered their things and hurried off.

"Thanks Mom," Emma said after another moment had passed. She gave Mary Margaret a hug. "Thank you for loving him too."


	4. Clara Marie (1)

**Disclaimer: Only Catalina and Clara are my creation. Nothing else.**

 **A/N: Time to get to know Emma and Killian's younger daughter Clara a little better. It's funny because I had to spend more time figuring out who Catalina was, but I had a really clear picture of Clara right from the beginning. That said, sometimes characters have a way of surprising you and that happened to me while writing this. Something came out that's going to get more important later on.** **This is remaining a series of oneshots, but there will be a few multi-part stories woven within this. Maybe some slight foreshadowing in this one. :) Hope you enjoy getting to know Clara!**

 **Rating: K**

* * *

It's been said that the sisters Jones are like opposite sides of the same coin. There are things that they have in common like how they adore their parents and Henry. They're both naturally compassionate and empathetic, though they show it in different ways. If Catalina Pearl is like a living ray of sunlight, Clara Marie is a living moonbeam.

Clara takes after Killian, physically speaking. Her hair is a touch lighter than his, but her eyes? Her eyes are exactly like his. And his are the same shade as his mother's. He doesn't remember her all that well, but he remembers his older brother Liam telling him that once. It makes him happy to know that his daughter has something of the grandmother she'll never know. And he loves that it's something that he has in common with them both.

When she's about a year old and right on the verge of walking, her parents do what they did with Catalina. Put her down by the living room table and sit on the floor, this time with Henry, to see who can coax her to walk to them. Catalina, who is around three years old at this time, assumes the role of cheerleader. When Clara takes her first step, she looks over at her sister for reassurance. "Come on, Clara, you can do it!" Catalina encourages her.

And she does. Her steps are wobbly, but her path is certain as she toddles straight into her father's arms. "That's my girl!" Killian beams at her before making her squeal with laughter by peppering her cheek with kisses.

Now at four years old, Clara is a sweet albeit cautious child. Like moonlight in comparison to sunlight, Clara is softer and more delicate than her big sister. Whereas Catalina is a social butterfly, Clara is shy. Painfully so. There's only a few people that she's completely comfortable with and she's related to most of them. It's hard for her to be around other people.

See, most people push too much. They'll ask too many questions or talk too loud and generally make Clara feel like she's different. Too different and in a way that's not good. It makes her horribly self-conscious, like there's something wrong with her. So she tends to cling to the people who make her feel safe.

Namely, her parents, siblings and grandparents. But all of them know that Killian sits at the very top of that list. For as much as Clara loves her mother, Clara and Killian have a special bond. He understands her more than anyone else does and she flat out adores him. It makes Emma a little jealous sometimes, but she chooses to ignore it. She knows her baby loves her.

Besides, she loves watching Clara and Killian together. Clara tends to be on the quiet side, even around her family, but Killian knows how to get her talking. He also has a way of sending her into fits of giggles and Emma so adores hearing her baby laugh. Especially since her laugh is a contagious one. Once she starts giggling, it's only a matter of time before everyone else joins in.

Though Emma's favorite part about Clara and Killian's relationship is the way it showcases his tender side. As fearsome a pirate as Killian used to be, there's always been a heart of gold buried underneath. He feels things deeply, especially when it comes to his girls. He's tender with and protective of all of them, but especially so with Clara.

Though, in truth, the entire family is extra protective of Clara. She's just so shy and she's always been small for her age that it brings it out of all of them. Even Catalina, who is only two years older, has developed the habit of looking out for her. But with Killian, this protectiveness is amplified. Emma suspects this is at least part of why Clara adores him so. He's often the first one she'll seek out for a comforting cuddle.

What really makes their relationship special is that this tenderness is a two way street. Clara always seems to know when her father is upset or hurt and will come up with ways to try and make him feel better. For example, it's true that Killian's hook and brace are a big part of who he is, but there's always a point where he has to take them off or risk losing his mind. Especially if he's had his brace on for too long as he's prone to do.

As nervous as Killian was about wearing his hook around Catalina as a baby, he may have been more nervous about either of his girls ever seeing his mutilated wrist. It's not pretty or anything close to it. So he usually takes care to keep them from seeing it. It's not hard to do; the brace rarely ever comes off until he goes to sleep anyway.

But one night when Clara was about 19 months old, his wrist is hurting so badly that he has to take it off. The girls were playing on the floor and Emma was massaging his wrist for him, trying to ease some of the pain when Clara decides that she wants to climb up into his lap.

Time seems to stop for a minute while Killian braces himself for a terror filled scream from Clara when she notices his wrist. But it never comes. He's surprised when she reaches out and touches it. "Daddy hurt." She says this to her mother who gives her a somewhat sad smile.

"Yes, baby, but he'll be okay," Emma assures her.

When Clara looks up Killian, her eyes are swimming with tears but she's not afraid. "I help." Killian's breath catches in his throat when she places a soft kiss on his wrist. "All better?"

"Aye, love." His voice is thick with emotion. "All better."

* * *

When it comes to her grandparents, Clara prefers Mary Margaret though she does love her Grandpa David. It's just that, like Killian, Mary Margaret has a way of getting her to open up. After her parents, Mary Margaret seems to get Clara the best.

In fact, the best present she's ever gotten is the stuffed duck that Mary Margaret gave her when she was three years old. Clara has a love for animals in general, but Mary Margaret knows that she's had a fondness for ducks ever since she saw a family of them swimming by the Jolly Roger. David's taken to calling her little duck because of it. So when Mary Margaret sees the adorable stuffed duck in a store window, she knows she has to get it for Clara.

Mary Margaret can't help smiling whenever she remembers the way Clara hugged the duck to her chest the moment it was handed to her. The way her eyes were bright with happiness as she hugged her Grandma and thanked her for her new friend. Suffice to say, it was love at first sight. That stuffed duck has become Clara's near constant companion.

Later on that same fateful day that Clara got said new friend, Emma takes the girls to visit Killian on the Jolly Roger. As soon as Emma carries Clara on board and sets her down on deck, she immediately scampers over to Killian who is all too happy to scoop her up into his arms. He's long since mastered the art of picking up his daughters while wearing his hook. "Look Daddy, a ducky!" She holds up the duck for him to inspect.

"Mom gave it to her," Emma tells him.

"And what a fine companion he'll make," Killian smiles at his daughter. "Tell me, love, does our new ducky friend have a name?"

"Hmm." Clara considers the question carefully, her face lighting up as inspiration strikes. "His name is Jolly! After Daddy's ship."

"Well, then." Killian's supporting her weight with his left arm and makes a show of shaking one of the duck's wings with his thumb and finger to Clara's delight. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Jolly."

* * *

In addition to her love for animals, Clara has also developed a love for books. One of her favorite things is listening to stories. She's already learning how to read. This love for books is what led her to form a bond with Belle.

It all started when Emma decided to take Clara to see the library. She still smiles when she thinks about the way Clara's eyes widened in awe when first surrounded by all those books. As Belle showed them around, pulling out some books she thought Clara might enjoy, Emma realizes how good Belle is with her.

The shared love for books aside, Belle knows what it's like to feel different. She doesn't treat Clara like some sort of alien life form simply because she's shy, like so many others do. She treats her like a person and she's not pushy so Clara likes her. It makes Emma and Killian happy to see their reserved little girl connect with someone outside of her family.

* * *

Neither Emma or Killian would call themselves terribly musical, though they both enjoy music. But when they have Catalina they find themselves singing lullabies to try and soothe her, and later both of their girls. It's not all of the time, but sometimes the mood strikes. Out of the two of them, Killian's the more likely to start humming or singing a tune. Usually a sea shanty of some sort.

It's not unusual to hear either of their girls singing songs to themselves. What is unusual is when Emma and Killian hear Clara singing a song that neither of them recognizes. When Emma asks her where she learned it, they're surprised when Clara says that she made it up. Granted, it's a simple melody and lyric she comes up with, but it's enough to have Killian convinced that their baby is some sort of musical genius.

Emma thinks it's way too early to go that far, but even still she knows they have to encourage this. So they find themselves exposing Clara to more and more kinds of music. There's so much of it that she loves, but lately she's been especially drawn to the violin. So much so that Emma and Killian are getting her one for her next birthday.

Of course, Emma's thinking more along the lines of encouraging their daughter's apparent musical ability will be good for her. If she ends up loving it like they think she will, Emma thinks it'll help bring her out of her shell. One of her greatest hopes for both of their girls is that they will grow up believing in themselves and their worth. She doesn't want either of her girls to ever believe they aren't good enough like she used to. And if learning the violin can help Clara in this respect, Emma's all for it.

Killian is in complete agreement with her about this. Only he also believes that Clara will undoubtedly become the greatest violinist of all time. Emma can't help but laugh when Killian talks about this like it's a given. After all, their daughter has yet to even hold a violin, let alone try to play one. At the same time, she loves him for having that much faith in Clara.

For having that much faith in both of their girls and Henry, for that matter. He truly believes that any of them can do anything they set their minds to. Killian's support of Clara's love for music makes Emma fall in love with him all over again. She's lost count of how many times he's managed to do that to her over the years.

But she knows from personal experience how much having Killian's support has helped her deal with all of her own insecurities and problems. He's always been able to make her feel like she can overcome anything. He's always been in her corner and so she knows all too well how lucky their children are to have him as their father.

Who knows? Between Clara's musical potential, the support of her family and Killian's overwhelming faith in her, maybe she really will grow up to be the greatest violin player who ever lived.

* * *

The nightmares started when Clara was around two years old. Emma and Killian can still remember the first like it was yesterday. They can see it so clearly.

They are just getting ready to go the bed when a scream rips into the night that scares them both half to death. They raced to Clara's room, fully expecting to find some sort of villain trying to kidnap her or a portal appearing out of nowhere to pull her away to who knew where.

But there's only Clara, tossing and turning in her bed. Right before they reach her, she screams herself awake. Emma goes to comfort her and is stunned when Clara pushes her away. They realize that the nightmare may have technically ended, but Clara's not fully awake yet. It quickly becomes apparent that they won't be able to do anything to make it stop. It seems like they're going to have to wait it out, so they do. Even though not being able to help their baby yet is killing them.

The screaming continues sporadically for another minute or so, though it feels like a lifetime. When it stops, Clara seems confused. When her eyes land on her parents, when it finally registers that they're with her, she bursts into tears. Terribly gut-wrenching tears that nearly rip them apart.

It takes both of them to calm her down. They sit with her sandwiched between them and hold her while she cries, whispering words of comfort through tears of their own. To say it shakes them up is an understatement.

They thought, they hoped, that it would be a one time occurrence. It wasn't. It starts happening at least a couple of times a week and now it's been two years. Archie's suggestions help a little. But a little isn't nearly enough.

Archie aside, the only other two people who know about the nightmares are Henry and Catalina and that's only because they sleep in the same house. If it were up to Emma and Killian, neither of their other kids would know because it makes them worry about their little sister. Well, if it were up to Emma and Killian, Clara wouldn't be having these nightmares in the first place.

They briefly talked about letting at least David and Mary Margaret know about them, but decided against it. It doesn't seem fair to worry them too. That and they feel like they should be able to handle Clara's night terrors themselves.

They should know better after everything they've been through and on some level they do. But they keep it a secret anyway.


	5. Killian Jones: Pirate, Hero & Pillow

**Disclaimer: Same as always. Don't own OUAT or any of those characters, but Catalina and Clara are mine.**

 **A/N: As always, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read, favorite or review! I really appreciate it. To Zae Marks, I couldn't respond to you directly but if you read this, the answer to your question is yes. :) I definitely keep bringing up Clara's nightmares for a reason. A reason that's going to have to wait because while there is a brief mention, this was a random idea I had that I thought could make for a cute one shot. In which Killian has effectively been turned into a pillow. Hope you enjoy it!**

 **Rating: K+**

* * *

Let it be known that all three of the Jones women had a habit of using Killian as a place to rest their weary heads. At the moment he had not one, not two, but all three of his girls using him as a pillow.

He let out a sigh as he thought back on his day and how he'd ended up in this particular situation.

He'd started out his morning by coming downstairs to find Emma making coffee...

* * *

Killian slid his arms around his wife from behind, letting out a soft chuckle when she jolted in surprise. "Good morning, love," he murmured into her ear. "Did you sleep well?"

"What little sleep I got was good," she replied, smiling to herself. "But I did have a pirate keeping me up most of the night."

"Hmm, I would apologize for that, but that would require actually being sorry." He smirked at her as she turned in his arms to face him. "And I'm not."

"I can see that," she said in response, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You're looking pretty proud of yourself this morning, Captain."

"Oh I am," he assured her, making her laugh as she leaned in to kiss him.

"I love you," she said quietly. These days she said those three words freely and often, but they never failed to make his heart sing when he heard them.

"And I you." He lightly rubbed his nose against hers before kissing her again. The kiss was just starting to deepen when they were interrupted.

"Mommy?" Emma eased away from him at the sound of Clara's voice.

"Yes, baby?" Emma asked.

"I don't feel good." At this Emma frowned, Killian forgotten as she went to their daughter.

"You don't feel good? What's wrong Clara? How do you feel?" Emma asked.

"My head hurts," Clara groaned. "And my throat feels itchy and..." Whatever else Clara was going to say got chased away by a coughing fit. Concerned, Emma pressed her hand to Clara's forehead.

"She's burning up," she said this to Killian as he knelt down beside them. "I think we need to get you back to bed, honey." That was to Clara. To Killian she added, "I wonder if I should call my Dad and have him cover for me."

"No need for that," he shook his head. "Go to work. I'll take care of her."

"You sure?" She asked.

"Positive," he replied.

And so, Emma had gotten Clara settled back in bed before leaving to drop Catalina off at school and then heading to the Sheriff station. She'd left Killian with all kinds of instructions, things he already knew to do but he knew she felt better running through them. So he let her. Right before leaving, she said that she'd try to leave work early.

Killian had then spent most of the morning taking care of some things around the house, periodically stopping in to check on Clara. He'd just gone to sit down for a few minutes when he heard her coming down the stairs, holding the ever present Jolly by the wing.

"Daddy?"

"What's the matter, sweetheart? You're supposed to be resting," he reminded her.

"I know, but -" Killian frowned as she went into yet another coughing fit. He went to her, gently rubbing her small back as he waited for it to subside.

"Alright, come up here," he said softly, lifting her up in his arms and placing a soft kiss on her too hot forehead. "How about some juice?" he asked, remembering Emma telling him to make sure she got plenty of fluids.

At her nod, he carried her into the kitchen where he balanced her against his side with one arm as he grabbed a box of apple juice for her with his good hand.

"Daddy?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I stay down here with you?" she sniffled.

"Of course you can, love. Come now. Let's sit down while you have your juice, alright?" He carried her to the living room, maneuvering her so that she sat on his lap as he got settled on the couch. He handed her the juice box and stuck the straw in for her. He, meanwhile, started humming a lullaby to her as she sipped at her juice. His melody occasionally punctuated by a sniffle or a cough from Clara.

She shifted so that her back rested against his chest. Her eyes slowly began to droop as his voice lulled her to sleep. Killian took the juice box and managed to set it on the long table behind the couch. He briefly thought about carrying her back up to her room, but decided against it.

He figured that it was hard enough for her to fall asleep, what with all the coughing she'd been doing. He didn't want to risk waking her by moving her. He knew she needed as much rest as she could get and if that meant letting her stay where she was, so be it.

Killian reached for one of the throw pillows they kept on the couch and stuck it behind his head. _May as well try to get comfortable_ , he thought as he rested his head against it. The next thing he knew, he was being woken up by the sound of their front door opening.

As it turned out, Clara wasn't the only one who had gotten sick. Both Catalina and Emma had fallen ill as the the day went on. David had been trying to talk Emma into going home to rest when Mary Margaret called her to tell her that Catalina was sick. They'd both come home looking completely miserable.

Catalina had immediately gone to sit beside Killian, her head automatically going to his shoulder. Noticing the way Emma had then started eyeing the empty patch of couch to Killian's right, he'd nodded to it and told her that she might as well join them.

And now here they were. Clara leaning against his chest while Catalina and Emma rested against his shoulders. Killian had assumed that they'd all eventually end up relocating to their beds after resting a little while. He hadn't expected Catalina and Emma to fall asleep, but fallen asleep they had. On him.

Killian Jones had been many different things over the course of his lifetime. He'd been an orphan and a slave. He'd been a naval officer and a captain; a pirate and a villain. He'd become a hero and then a Dark One. Miraculously, he'd managed to become a hero again. He'd been a fighter and a lover and now?

Now he'd taken on his most favorite roles to date as a husband and a father. He hadn't known that he'd end up becoming a human pillow because of said roles, however. Apparently he was more comfortable than he'd ever realized.

It'd all started with Emma.

* * *

For a woman who'd put up so many walls around her heart, Emma'd become rather affectionate once those walls came crashing down. He suspected that that was because her life as an orphan had been full of loneliness and a feeling of never being good enough. She'd been starved for love and affection for so much of her life and once she found people who loved her, things began to change.

Correction.

Once she allowed said people to show their love for her, things changed. She reveled in it. She flourished in it and soaked it up like a sponge. He could understand that because he'd been the same way. She'd gone from abandoning him at the top of a beanstalk to finding excuses to be close to him. To finding reasons to touch him and to hold onto him.

It could be something as simple as reaching out to hold his hand or wrapping her arms around his waist or his neck. As idly playing with the ends of his hair as they talked. Leaning against him for support. Touching his face as they kissed. Her head just had a way of landing on his shoulder.

Emma wasn't the only one who reveled in affection; he did too. So he had absolutely no problems with her need to touch him. After all, he was just as likely to reach for her hand. Just as likely to pull her into his arms. To slide his hands into her hair and to touch her face while they kissed. Just as likely to guide her head to his shoulder.

So it'd really only been a matter of time before she'd fallen asleep on him. The first time had happened while they were sitting on a couch watching something on Netflix. Once they started sharing a bed, she pretty much fell asleep with her head on his chest every night.

Not that he was complaining.

* * *

With Catalina, the habit had started early. Killian and Emma took turns tending to her during the night while she was a baby. Killian figured it was the least he could do, especially since he thought Emma deserved as much sleep as possible.

Besides, he'd grown quite fond of those moments he got to share with his daughter. Not the crying or the diaper changes, but rather the time he'd spent holding her in his arms until she'd calmed down. He'd sit with her in the rocking chair they kept by her crib or, if she was especially fussy, he'd carry her downstairs so they wouldn't bother Emma.

If it was a nice night, he might take Catalina out on the porch and tell her all about the stars and constellations. Otherwise he'd find a comfortable place to sit in the house. He'd tell her stories about his life or ones that he made up on the spot. Sometimes he would tell her some of his secrets or admit some of his fears. There was something about the quiet of the night and the comforting weight of his daughter in his arms that made him want to talk, to pour his heart out.

And truth be told, it didn't really matter what he talked to her about because it was the sound of his voice that soothed her and not the words themselves. He'd cradle her close as he spoke. Sometimes he'd lay down on the couch holding her securely against his chest, taking the utmost caution not to disturb her in the process. Sooner or later, she would be lulled to sleep by the soft lilt of his words.

Sometimes Emma would wake up and find them both asleep, knowing that Catalina was always safe in his arms. Even while he slept. Emma knew that he would wake if their baby moved. She always hated waking them in those moments.

As a toddler, there'd be times when they'd be out somewhere and Catalina would start to get fussy and Killian would sweep her up into his arms. He would murmur comforting words to her while gently swaying from side to side. And she would fall asleep with her head on his shoulder. Just like her mommy.

He never complained about it.

* * *

Clara had naturally taken after her mother and sister in this respect. Like Catalina, this had started early with Clara as well. When Catalina started talking, she would often demand to be picked up with a simple "Up up, Dada" at first. Getting more insistent with each request. Somewhere along the way Dada had turned into Daddy.

Ever the quieter of the two, Clara's demands were often wordless even when she did begin to talk. She'd reach out for him, her small hands opening and closing as if she was attempting to pull him to her. Once he'd picked her up, she'd often catch a fistful of his shirt or necklace in her hands. It seemed as if she was always trying to anchor him in place. Like with Catalina, he'd gently sway and soothe her with soft words.

When she got older and began to walk, he'd feel a small tug on his hand or hook and know that she wanted up. And he'd happily oblige understanding how incredibly lucky he was to be so loved by his precious little girl. By all of his girls.

Whenever Clara had one of her nightmares, he'd often end up holding her in his arms while murmuring words of comfort and reassurance to her. He'd stay with her until she fell back asleep, no matter how long it took. Once she fell asleep, he would continue to stay with her for a time. Keeping watch over his sweet little princess as if his presence could keep her monsters at bay, at least for the rest of the night. And she would sleep peacefully, secure in knowing that she was safe in her daddy's arms.

* * *

It floored him sometimes.

The fact that Emma had seen fit to enter into a relationship with him in the first place. That she'd agreed to be his wife and build a life with him. That she'd given him not one, but two beautiful little girls who adored him. Who not only loved him but trusted him enough to sleep in his arms. The love of his girls was the single greatest gift he'd ever been given and he treasured it, treasured them, so much.

And so if that meant that he'd spend a chunk of his days acting as a pillow for them, he'd do so willingly. Sure, he was far too hot and his back hurt because he'd been stuck in the same position for too long. His arms kept falling asleep due to the positions they were in. His right arm was wrapped around his wife and Catalina had his left arm pinned to his side. When he'd tried to ease it out from between them to put it around her shoulders, she'd intinctively looped her arm through his and was now holding on with both hands.

Clara was basically a small human sandbag on his lap, keeping him from being able to move his legs all that much. Though he had gotten his feet up on the coffee table, which was something. He'd taken an elbow to the gut when Clara had managed to roll onto her side towards Emma.

Yes, the Jones women had effectively pinned Killian in place. To say that he was uncomfortable would be an understatement. Not to mention that he would, in all likelihood, wake up coughing the next day. He didn't see how he could avoid it, not with three sick women sleeping on him the way they were. He knew that he could wake them up and get them up to their beds and there'd be a point where he knew he would have to just that. But for now he chose to let them stay where they were. His girls needed their rest and as uncomfortable as he was, he didn't want to disturb them just yet. He could stay like this for a little while longer.

Because you know what? They were worth it. He could handle a little discomfort for the sake of his girls. If sleeping on him made them feel better, even if only a little, it was worth it.

He wasn't complaining.


	6. Killian's kisses (1)

**Disclaimer: None of the OUAT characters are mine.**

 **A/N: This is the first of a two-parter. I was originally going to keep it all together, but it got to a point where I basically started writing a oneshot within a oneshot and decided to separate them. I've done a variation of this idea before and thought it could work here. This one is from Emma's perspective and features some father/daughter fluff and later, some Captain Swan heat. Because as much as I love writing devoted Daddy Killian, I felt like I've been kind of neglecting CS so I wanted to give them more attention. And I figure a little CS heat doesn't hurt.** **So ladies and gentlemen, we have a rating change. The end of this part has nothing on part 2, assuming I can work up the nerve to post it. But I still feel like this best falls under the M rating. It seems a little much for T to me. This one took me a bit out of my comfort zone, so keep that in mind.** **Thanks for reading!**

 **Rating: M**

* * *

Emma was humming as she tidied up her desk at the Sheriff Station. It didn't matter how neat she might try to keep it, sooner or later her desk would become littered by stacks of papers needing to be sorted. She could live with the mess for a time, but always reached a point where it got to be too much.

She had officially reached that point.

She'd been out on patrol that morning and then had been spending the afternoon at the station while Killian went out on patrol. Mary Margaret was watching the girls for them. Since the afternoon had been such a quiet one, she'd decided she might as well take advantage of it. She'd put on some music to help make the time pass; Clara's love for music had inspired Emma to listen to it more often. Not just to listen to it more, but to listen to more kinds of it.

This habit seemed to come with a few rather interesting side effects. Humming along was one. If the song especially struck her fancy, she'd progress from humming to singing. And if she was really into a song? She'd start dancing along. But only if she was alone.

The song stuck in her head at the moment? "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)" by Betty Everett. She couldn't remember the last time she'd actually heard it before today, but somehow it'd been in her head soon after waking up that morning. It'd been there most of the day and so she'd gone with it and had it playing on repeat.

Now as she hummed to herself as she worked, she found herself thinking about her husband. More specifically, about his kisses. One of the things she loved most about Killian was how he expressed his love in all kinds of different ways. And yes, one of them was in the way he kissed.

For there were a lot of different ways that Killian Jones kissed. Different kinds of kisses for different kinds of situations. Emma smiled as she thought about them all.

Starting with the most innocent.

* * *

There were the kisses of greeting and of farewell. These were generally short and accompanied by an exaggerated smacking sound. On this particular morning, Killian had left the house at the crack of dawn to check on some things on the Jolly Roger and had returned home while they were having breakfast.

He'd been in good spirits. It was a beautiful day and his ship was in good working order and now he was back home with his girls for a little while before heading to the Sheriff station. "Good morning, my girls!" he'd said, cheerfully. "My sweet Catalina," he'd added, leaning down to kiss the top of Catalina's head as she was the closest.

"My beautiful wife." He'd kissed Emma at the cheek before heading to the opposite side of the table where Clara was eating her cereal. "And my darling Clara." A kiss to the top of her head. Spotting Jolly laying on the table next to her bowl, he'd even gone as far to pick the duck up and place a kiss on its head as well. "And a good morning to you, Jolly my good duck."

"Daddy, you're silly," Catalina had giggled.

"What, you wouldn't expect me to slight our duck companion, now would you?" He asked, shooting Clara a wink. "Perish the thought."

* * *

Next there were the kisses of comfort, the ones given to soothe his girls. These kisses lingered a bit longer and were much softer.

They were the ones given after an injury. Like when Catalina had somehow managed to pinch her finger while closing her closet door a few days ago. She'd come downstairs crying and after taking a minute to examine it, Killian had determined that it wasn't broken. Just a little scraped. He'd cleaned the wound and stuck a bandaid on it, placing a kiss on top of it.

"There," he'd smiled at her. "All patched up."

"Thank you, Daddy," she'd returned the smile as he brushed away the last lingering tears on her cheeks.

"You're welcome, lass." He'd then kissed her forehead. "Just be a little more careful, alright?"

These were also the kinds of kisses that he would give when he had his wife or one of his daughters or any combination thereof cuddled up against his side. Sometimes they were given for no reason other than he just felt like bestowing his affection on the Jones woman in question. Of course, in those instances when he had one on either side, kisses would have to be given to them both.

They were the kisses he gave whenever any of his girls was afraid. The other night Clara'd had a nightmare that had seemed to stick with her all of the next day. When asked if she'd wanted to talk about it, she'd said no. Emma had tried again while working the tangles out of Clara's hair after her bath to no avail.

Though Clara had asked for Killian after Emma had gotten her in bed and Emma had smiled as she said she'd get him. Killian had been sitting with Catalina in her room telling her a story when Emma interrupted them; it'd been time for Catalina's bath anyway. She'd told Killian that his presence had been requested in Clara's room and he'd given her a sad smile as he told her that he'd try to see if he could get her to open up.

When Emma had checked on them after finishing Catalina's bath and getting her tucked into bed, Clara was curled up against his side while Killian finished telling her a story. "Alright, lass, I think it's time for you to get some sleep." He'd kissed the top of her head and started to get up.

"No!" Clara had exclaimed, startling both of her parents. "Don't leave me!" She'd clutched onto the front of his shirt, catching his necklace in the process.

"Hey, hey, look at me," he'd frowned, bringing his hand to her cheek. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"I don't want you to go! And I don't want to go to sleep either," she'd told him.

"Why not? Because of your dream last night?" A sad sigh had escaped his lips when she didn't answer. "Darling, are you sure you don't want to talk about it? You don't have to if you really don't want to, but it might make you feel better."

"My monsters..." She'd begun, but stopped.

"Did they hurt you, sweetheart?" He'd asked, gently.

"Not me." Clara had lowered her gaze from his. "You."

"Me?" He'd been surprised. "You dreamt that your monsters hurt me?" She'd nodded, still refusing to meet his eyes. "Look at me. Come on, love, look at me." She had, slowly, and he'd given her a small smile. "I'm alright. See? Your monsters didn't really hurt me." He'd brushed his thumb over her cheek. "Tell you what. How about I stay here with you until you fall asleep?"

"Would you?" She asked, her voice small.

"Of course I would, lass. Come now." He'd guided her head to his shoulder and started gently stroking her hair. "It'll be alright. I'm right here." He'd pressed his lips to the top of her head. "Rest now. Daddy's here."

Emma had lingered in the doorway watching Clara and Killian for a while. Watched as Clara's eyes began to droop as she slowly fell asleep wrapped safely in her father's arms. He'd placed another kiss against her hair. "I love you, my darling girl," he'd said softly and Emma watched as a faint smile appeared on their daughter's face.

In Emma's opinion, there were few things that felt better than being wrapped up in her husband's arms and feeling him press a gentle kiss to the top of her head or her temple or forehead. Evidently their daughters felt the same way.

She'd lost count of how many times she'd witnessed a scene like this. If any of Killian's girls wanted to be held, he would hold them. Even if they were sick and likely contagious.

Like when a stomach bug had worked its way through the family a couple of months ago. Emma and Clara had been the first to go down. Catalina had been next and for whatever reason, it had seemed to hit her the hardest. Killian had somehow managed to avoid it.

At least until Catalina had been up late one night because she kept getting sick. Killian had offered to stay up with her since Emma, while much better, was still on the mend. When Emma had woken up early the next morning, she'd found Catalina asleep in her exhausted father's arms. It'd been a long night for them both.

There'd mercifully been a point when Catalina had stopped throwing up, but had still felt too yucky to get much sleep. Killian had been rubbing her back soothingly, occasionally kissing the top of her head as he murmured words of comfort to her as Emma had come in.

It hadn't been until later when Emma and Clara had finally felt up to eating a full meal that Killian had ended up rushing to the bathroom to get sick. And so went down the last member of the family, Henry having wisely avoided their house during this time and thus managing to avoid getting sick.

Catalina had felt bad about Killian getting sick, thinking that it'd been her fault since he'd been up with her. He'd told her that if he'd known he was going to end up getting sick, he would've stayed up with her anyway. Because she'd needed him and that made it worth it. And besides, he'd been lucky to avoid it as long as he had.

* * *

Of course, not all of Killian's kisses were innocent. Some were quite the opposite. And Emma reveled in the knowledge that these kisses were reserved for her and her alone. Oh, she knew that Killian had kissed several women over the course of his long life. Bedded who knew how many over that time.

Emma hated to admit it, but every once in a while she would find herself start to get jealous whenever she thought about it. Hated admitting it because it always pissed her off. Oh, not because he'd been with those women, but that it would bother her. Even if it was only in the slightest amount.

Because it didn't matter. Killian was hers now, had been ever since that fateful trip up the beanstalk years before. She'd never doubted his faithfulness to her. Not once. He'd never given her a reason to. That had been one of the things that had scared her the most about him in the beginning. The fact that he was so certain that she was who he belonged with. These days she was grateful for that fact. Grateful that he'd never given up on her.

So now his kisses, the ones that were the opposite of innocent, belonged to her and her alone. If anything, she should thank the women he'd been with before because they'd taught him some things. They'd taught him a number of things, in fact.

Suffice it to say, Killian Jones could _kiss_. The kisses reserved for his wife covered a lot of bases. There were the sweet kisses. The ones that were soft and even delicate. The ones that filled her body with a gentle warmth that made her feel so incredibly loved and cherished and safe and protected.

But her husband could also turn on the heat whenever he felt like it. It could be a slow burn or a raging inferno, depending on what kind of mood he was in. It was tough to say which Emma preferred, especially since a lot of times it depended on her mood too.

There was something to be said for the slow burn. Those long, slow and deep kisses intended purely to seduce. The kinds of kisses that Emma never wanted to end because they felt so good. They were those all-consuming kinds of kisses that were somehow never enough. The kisses that made her melt into him and turned her brain into mush. Until the only thing she could think about was his mouth and the way it moved against hers. The way his body felt against hers.

He would kiss her like they had all the time in the world, like there was nothing else that he'd rather be doing. And when those kisses slowly drifted from her mouth to tease that sensitive spot just under her ear that he knew drove her crazy, well, that could just about drive her to the point of madness. Especially when he lingered right on that spot as he was prone to do.

Lingered there before drifting down her neck and along her collarbone. Those kisses that made his name come out of her lips on a sound that was half sigh and half moan. The slow burn was delicious and maddening at the same time. He would work his way down her body slowly, torturing them both. She'd find herself torn between not wanting him to stop and wanting him to put them both out of their misery.

Of course, this slow torture made that moment when he finally - _finally_ \- eased into her that much sweeter. Though, truth be told, it was tough for them to actually keep up the slow pace to get to that point. Easier for him, she thought, since he could be so infuriatingly patient. She was usually the first one to break and she knew that he delighted in those moments.

Those moments when he'd gotten her so worked up and so impatient that she'd roll them over and take him inside her, riding him until they both peaked. But sometimes she'd resist the urge. It took a concentrated effort on her part, but it was always worth it.

Worth it to wait until he slid himself into her inch by tortuous inch until he filled her completely. Worth it to let him keep the pace slow and sensual for as long as possible. Those orgasms were by far the sweetest. These were the moments when she felt the closest to Killian. When it felt like they truly become one in every way possible. Physically. Mentally. Spiritually. Yeah, those moments made all the torture worth it. More than worth it even.

Of course, Emma had absolutely no complaints about the raging inferno either. None whatsoever. Because the truth was that as romantic and beautiful as the slow burn was, sometimes she just got a craving for him that couldn't wait. Sometimes she needed him and she needed him as soon and as fast as possible. And vice versa. A smile crept across Emma's face as she thought about the last time that had happened.


	7. Killian's kisses (2)

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

 **A/N: So this happened. This one took me so far out of my comfort zone! I can't believe I'm posting it. The original plan was to have it start off mostly sweet, get a little steamy and then silly at the end. Which it does. But what was meant to just be steamy turned into full on smut. Now I really don't write smut. At all. I usually take more of a fade to black kind of approach. This one just started getting more involved and I went with it. This picks up right where part 1 of this twoshot ended with Emma remembering a particular sexual encounter with Killian. Then we'll bounce back to her in her office where things get silly and then smutty again. If that's not your thing, this one's not for you. The next oneshot will most likely be back to a K+ rating. Also, I'm not entirely convinced that Emma would actually be willing to do what she does at the end, but I kept it in there. Just be aware of three things: she may seem a little OOC at the end. This one is really long for me - like twice as much as my usual. And again, writing smut isn't something I've really tried before. Not like this. If it's not terrible, I may try again at some point down the road.**

 **Rating: M - for smut and some language**

* * *

Killian had been gone for a little over two weeks. Every once in a while, Captain Nemo came to Storybrooke to ask Killian to accompany him on a mission on the submarine. Most of these excursions only lasted for a week or even less, but this one had been more involved so it'd taken longer.

In fact, Emma thought that those two and half weeks had been the slowest weeks of her entire life. She and her daughters had missed him terribly. Oh, the first few days had been fine. She'd missed him, but it'd been tolerable. By the end of the first week, she'd been more than ready for him to come home. Not just for her sake, but for their girls. The rest of the time had been a kind of torture.

When the big day came and he finally walked through their front door, he was greeted by twin shouts of "Daddy!" He crouched down just in time to get tackled by both of his daughters. Emma hung back with a smile on her face as she delighted in the picture the three of them made together.

At one point, he looked up at her and the moment their eyes met Emma felt that instant jolt of love and connection. And lust. Her body had been aching for his ever since he left and it had gotten worse with each passing day. She watched his eyebrow quirk as he seemed to read her mind, shooting her a wicked smile that made her knees weak. It was the smile she associated with the pirate, that part of him that remained Captain Hook.

A smile that instantly softened as he looked back at Catalina as she told him about something that had happened while he'd been gone. It was extraordinary to watch how fast he could transition from pure pirate to devoted father. How he could send Emma a look heated enough to make her toes curl one second and look at his daughters adoringly the next, the heat completely replaced by sweet affection.

Emma watched their girls more or less talk his ears off, occasionally throwing in a comment about how much they had missed him for a while. This was the happiest her girls had been since he'd left and it warmed her heart. She eventually broke up the party to ask the girls to set the table for dinner.

She turned to grab the stack of plates for Catalina, turning again to grab the cup full of the silverware to give to Clara, who had practically skipped over at her. She smiled down at her youngest. "Happy, baby?"

"Daddy's home!" Clara said gleefully in response, making Catalina let out a cheer from the table.

"Yes, Daddy's home," Emma repeated, patting her lovingly on the cheek before letting her join Catalina at the table. By this point, Killian had stood to face her and Emma now held her hands out to him. "Hello, my husband."

"Hello, my wife," he replied with a grin, letting her tug him to her. "Did you miss me?"

"Oh were you gone? I didn't notice," she teased, laughing at the arched eyebrow she got in response. "Of course I missed you." She leaned in to give him an all too brief kiss before bringing her mouth to his ear. "I'll show you how much later," she promised softly, earning herself a low growl from him in response that made her stomach clench.

They'd made it through dinner and then later, when it came time to put the girls to bed they both wanted extra daddy cuddles before going to sleep. As impatient as Emma was to get her husband all to herself, she couldn't deny their girls cuddle time with their daddy. Especially not when they'd missed him so much.

And vice versa. Being away from his girls for that long had been hard for Killian. He'd known that he'd miss them a lot, but he'd underestimated just how much. He couldn't imagine what it'd be like if he'd had to be away for any longer. By the end of the trip, he was so antsy to get back home to them. Their extreme joy at seeing him again had humbled him. He knew they loved him, but it still took his breath away.

So he was all too happy to sit back on Catalina's bed with his daughters snuggled up on either side of him as he read them stories. They usually ended up in Catalina's room when they did this since Clara was easier to move once asleep.

He had had to make a concentrated effort not to focus too much on his wife since every time he looked at her, all he could think about was how much he wanted to touch her. How much he wanted to kiss her. There was plenty of time to do all of that and more, but this time belonged to his daughters.

He stayed with them until they'd both fallen asleep and then gently eased Catalina off his shoulder to her pillow while Emma picked up Clara. Leaning down to give Catalina a kiss on her forehead and whisper that he loved her, he then got up and took Clara from his wife to carry her to her room. He carefully set her down in her bed. As with Catalina, he told her he loved her and gave her a kiss on the forehead. Emma following suit in both cases.

Emma led the way out of Clara's room and offered her hand to her husband, giving him a sly smile as she led him into their bedroom. She couldn't wait anymore. And as she found out a couple of seconds later, neither could he. He'd closed their bedroom door and the next thing Emma knew she was being pressed up against it while he proceeded to kiss her senseless.

His mouth was so hot and demanding and greedy against hers and she responded in kind, wrapping her arms around his neck as she strained against him. He felt so damn good. Hell, he felt better than good. He felt amazing against her. But their clothes were in the way. She wanted him naked and that sentiment was entirely mutual. They began practically tearing each other's clothes off.

Emma let out a growl of frustration as she struggled with the buttons on his vest; by that point, he was doing incredible things to her neck with his mouth that made it hard for to concentrate on the task at hand. "Killian." His name came out on a moan as his hand slid up her now bare stomach to her breast, he having already removed her shirt.

She finally managed to get his vest open and now struggled with the buttons on his shirt, vaguely aware of his hand moving down to the waistband of her jeans. He dropped to his knees, tugging her jeans down with him and quickly took off her boots and socks before divesting her of her jeans. He eased his way back up, leaving a haphazard trail of open mouthed kisses up her body on his way.

Emma felt like she was going to burst into flames as she drug that intoxicating mouth of his back to hers and resumed trying to unbutton his shirt. Only pulling away when her need for air demanded it, she let out a frustrated growl. She just couldn't get her fingers to work right in her desperation, so she ended up ripping his shirt open and sending buttons flying in the process. "Finally!" She cried out, triumphantly, as her hands skimmed up his now bare chest to shove the shirt and vest off his shoulders.

"Someone's a little eager," he chuckled, yanking the fabric the rest of the way off his body and then using his mouth to tease the other side of her neck.

"Someone's had to wait over two weeks to get you naked again," she shot back, somewhat breathlessly. His mouth had drifted to her collarbone which he nipped playfully in response.

"Fair point," he murmured, his head dipping lower to bring his mouth to her cleavage while his hand snaked around her back to unclasp her bra and yank it off.

"How is it that, _oh_." Emma's eyes fluttered closed in pleasure as his mouth latched onto her breast.

"What was that, love?" He asked, innocently. His words may have been innocent but the way he was teasing her other breast with his hook was decidedly not.

"Stop talking," she managed. "And keep...doing...that." Killian's mouth was so hot against her skin and the hook was so cool in comparison. The contrast drove her crazy and he knew it. She felt his hook skim down her side as he brought his mouth to the other breast, his hand sliding down her stomach and between her legs. "Bloody hell," she moaned.

"Always knew there was a little pirate in you," he chuckled, though it immediately turned into a groan as he felt just how soaked she was. "Mmm, Swan. So wet for me. Tell me something, love." He kissed his way back up to her mouth. "Does this feel good?" She felt him grin against her lips as she could only moan in response as he stroked her. "It does, doesn't it, Swan? You have missed your pirate, haven't you?" His lips found their way to her ear.

"Fuck yes," she sighed, making him groan as she raked her nails down his chest and stomach. "I need you."

"You have me," he assured her, angling his head to suck on a particularly sensitive spot on her neck as he continued to stroke her. He was making her feel so good, but it wasn't enough.

"No," she moaned, sliding her hands up his back. "I need you inside me."

"As you wish," he said roughly, sliding her panties to the side and pushing his finger inside her.

"That's...fuck." She clutched at his shoulders, as he thrust his finger in and out of her rhythmically. "That's not what I meant," she managed.

"No? How about this?" He pushed in a second finger to join the first. "You like this, don't you, love?" He was practically purring into her ear, his voice so deep and so husky that she could hardly stand it. "It feels good, doesn't it? You like the way my fingers feel inside you, don't you?"

"Killian...please," she groaned as he teased her by pulling his fingers almost completely out of her and kept them there. "Don't stop." She ground down with her hips, forcing his fingers to slide back in her all the way. She couldn't help it; she was so close.

"Mmm, that's right, my love. Take what you need from me," he urged. "That's the way, Emma. Fuck my fingers the way you want to fuck my cock."

Oh, how Emma loved when he got like this. Sometimes she thought she could get off on his dirty talk alone. It drove her crazy when his voice got all low like that. It sounded like pure sex to her ears. She redoubled her efforts, her nails digging into his shoulders as she chased her release.

"Come for me, Swan." His words pushed her over the edge and she cried out his name as her orgasm hit, scraping her nails down his back.

"Killian," she gasped out his name a second time as he slowly withdrew his fingers from her, making her moan softly as he brought them to his mouth to clean them.

"Mmm," he groaned in pleasure. "How is it that you get more delicious every time I taste you?"

"Fucking pirate," she muttered, dragging his mouth to hers.

"Well, if it's the pirate you want, love," he shot her a wicked grin as he eased back. "It's the pirate you shall have." He slid his hook under the waistband of her underwear and used it to rip them off of her. He sank back to his knees, once again leaving a trail of hot kisses - this time as he worked his way down her body. Stopping just before he got where she wanted him.

"Killian," she groaned. "Please..."

"Please what? Tell your pirate what you want." In truth, he was aching to give her what he knew she wanted, but he wanted to hear her say it.

"You know what I want," she managed in response, attempting to push his shoulders further down with her hands.

"Oh do I? Are you sure?" He nipped at her hip bone.

"I'm not begging," she said, weakly.

"We'll see about that," he said in response. He teased them both by flicking his tongue at her center, barely touching her. But it was enough to make her moan in anticipation. "Is that what you want? Hmm? Do you want to feel my tongue on you, love?"

"Yes." She'd meant it when she said she wasn't going to beg, but on the other hand she was desperate to feel his mouth against her. It'd been far too long in her opinion. "Are you satisfied? Yes."

"Yes, what?" He asked, his voice dark. "Tell me what you want." He carefully punctuated his words in that way that made her shiver.

"Bloody pirate." She growled in frustration. "Yes, I want your tongue on me. Please." She could feel his breath against her and it was driving her insane. "Lick me. Please Captain."

"That's a good lass," he murmured, giving her a rough lick that made her gasp. "Mmm. Don't worry, love. Your Captain is going to take very good care of you." With that, he fastened his mouth to her core with a ferocity that took her aback.

"Fuck." Emma's hands fisted in his hair. His mouth was relentless against her and it felt incredible. "Fuck Captain," she moaned. "Just like that. Mmm, don't stop. Don't you dare stop." He growled against her in response, sending a wave of delicious vibration through her core.

Oh, the things her pirate could do with that talented tongue of his. She soon lost her ability to speak at all as he pleasured her with his mouth. She gave his hair a hard tug, earning her another of his growls. She loved when he growled like that; it was so hot. She brought her fist up to stifle her moans which were starting to get louder, due to his ministrations.

"Hook." She gasped. He had her right on the edge of what she knew was going to be a powerful orgasm. His mouth had fastened on her clit while his fingers pushed back inside her to effectively toss her over the edge. "Oh fuck." She threw back her head and bit down on her knuckle as it hit, sending a wave of pure ecstasy throughout her entire body. "Hook."

Killian couldn't stop licking her yet, even if his life depended on it. He couldn't stop. She tasted so bloody good. Not to mention that the way she was moaning was driving him completely insane. How he'd missed using his mouth to make her moan over the past few weeks. Sometimes he didn't know which one of them enjoyed it more. He was so hard that it hurt, but he still couldn't stop. Not yet.

"Hook." She was practically whimpering as his licks slowed to help ease her down off of her high. "Oh Killian."

"Mmm." He pressed his lips to her center one more time, softly this time, before easing back to grin up at her. "Gods, I've missed doing that." She merely groaned in response as he licked his lips, savoring the way her juices tasted on his tongue.

Killian kissed his way back up her body, letting out a soft grunt of pleasure as she drew his mouth to hers in a fierce kiss. "Thank you," she murmured against his mouth. She couldn't help it; she loved tasting herself on his lips.

He'd given her two incredible orgasms, but it wasn't enough. She wouldn't be satisfied until she had his cock buried inside her. She surprised him by flipping their positions suddenly. It was true that she desperately wanted him inside her, but first she figured it was time for a little payback. It was time for her to make him moan.

She kissed her way to his neck, punctuating her kisses with licks and stopping every now and then to suck on the spots she knew drove him crazy. Her hands went immediately to his waistband, her movements frantic as she worked to free him from his jeans. Now her mouth was hot as she kissed her way down his chest and stomach.

"Fuck, Swan," he grunted as she shoved his jeans down and took them and his boots off. "I need you, love."

"You have me." Oh, she enjoyed tossing his previous words back in his face. "Looks like I'm not the only eager one around here." She had him cussing again at the saucy smile she flashed up at him. "This looks pretty uncomfortable, Captain." She licked her lips as her eyes drifted back to his impressive erection. "Let's see if I can do something about that."

"Bloody hell." Killian gritted his teeth as she took him in her mouth. It was his turn to slide his hand in her hair to grip the back of her head as she alternated between sucking him and bobbing her head up and down his length. She gave a long hum of pleasure as her efforts made him moan. She loved making this man, this pirate, moan. It never failed to make her wet.

"As good as this feels," he managed after a little while, carefully pushing her away from him, albeit reluctantly. "And it feels fucking amazing, Swan. But I need to be inside you."

"Hmm," she smirked up at him, letting him yank her back to her feet. "Sounds good to me." She gasped as he reversed their positions yet again with absolutely no warning. He wasted no time in hoisting her upwards, causing her to instinctively wrap her legs around his waist. "Bed. Now." She managed, groaning as she felt his hardness against her center.

"No, Swan." He gave a hard shake of his head. "We're doing this right here." His tone left no room for debate and she felt her stomach clench. She was practically dripping for him.

"Whatever you say, Captain," she said breathlessly, crying out in pleasure as he drove into her.

"That's right, love." He closed his eyes for a moment; it'd been far too long since he'd been inside her. "Take it right here." She clutched onto him as he began thrusting his hips, pushing his length in and out of her.

"Oh fuck." She clawed at his back as he took her, hard and fast. "Harder," she demanded. There'd be time for slow and sensual later, she thought dimly. But now they were both slaves to their urges and this was exactly what they needed. "Mmm, just like that. Fuck me Captain."

"As you wish." He was reduced to grunts and it was amazing that he'd even gotten the words out, he was so completely wrecked. "Fuck, Swan." He was frantic now, desperately trying to push her to her peak before he lost control.

"Hook!" She sank her teeth into his shoulder as she climaxed with a force that made her vision go hazy and robbed her of her breath.

"Emma." He was right behind her; her release sending him tumbling over the edge.

Emma was so grateful that he had her pinned between his body and their bedroom door because she wasn't sure if her legs would support her just yet. They were both practically panting for air and he bowed his head to rest against her shoulder. She turned her head to nuzzle the side of his neck. "Welcome home, Captain," she murmured, somewhat weakly.

"Mmm." He lifted his head to look into her eyes. "It's good to be home." He leaned in for a kiss, this one far more gentle than the previous ones had been. The flames that had burned so hotly between them moments ago had abated some, leaving a sweet warmth in its wake. His eyes softened as he studied her, almost reverently. "My Emma. I missed you, love."

"I missed you more." Emma let her forehead rest against his, sliding her hand into his hair and stroking it affectionately. "I love you, Killian."

"And I you, Swan." He brushed his lips against hers, smiling when she let out a soft sigh of protest as he eased himself out of her. She carefully unlocked her legs from around his waist, clutching onto him since she still didn't trust herself not to sink to the floor like a stone.

"Bed now?" She asked, softly.

"Aye. Bed now," he agreed, causing her to let out a squeal of surprise as he swept her up into his arms. Her arms naturally wound around his neck and she let out another sigh, a happy one this time, as he carried her to their bed. He set her down gently and she reached for him, tugging him to her and making him chuckle. "Again?"

"What do you think?" She asked, her hand coming to wrap around the back of his head.

"I think that you might be the death of me, Swan," he said, honestly.

"But what a way to go," she grinned at him.

"Could be worse," he agreed, bringing his mouth to hers in a sweet kiss.

* * *

Killian had just come in after finishing his shift and was making his way towards Emma's office. The greeting he'd been about to call out died on his lips as he was surprised into silence by the sight before him.

Emma was bent over her open filing cabinet, her hips swinging in time to the music she had playing. And she was singing. The "Shoop Shoop" song, of all things. He leaned against the doorframe, a smile on his face as he watched her.

" _If you wanna know if he loves you so, it's in his kiss. Oh-oh, it's in his kiss_ ," she sang, completely oblivious to his presence as she straightened. " _Kiss him, squeeze him tight, find out what you want to know._ " He lifted his hand to his mouth to try to stifle the laugh that wanted to escape as she danced her way backwards. " _If_ _it's_ _love, if it really is, it's there in his kiss._ "

"How about the way he acts?" he asked, unable to help himself. At the sound of his voice, Emma jumped and cursed at the same time.

"Killian!" She spun around to face her now laughing husband with her hand pressed against her heart. "Don't do that! What the hell are you doing just standing there anyway?"

"Why, enjoying the show, of course. Tell me, Swan," he said, still chuckling. "Is this what you always do when you're here alone?"

"Don't be ridiculous," she sniffed, trying to play it off though her cheeks were tinged with pink as she reached to shut off the music. "I was cleaning my desk" She grabbed one of the few files that remained on her desk and lifted it in demonstration. "See?"

"You know what?" He asked, ignoring the question.

"What?" She asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion at the mischievous look on his face.

"I think you may have missed your calling," he replied, seriously. "Those kinds of moves were meant for the stage. No, no I meant it. A talent like yours shouldn't be wasted. I especially liked that little hip shake you were doing."

"For the love..." She brought her free hand to her forehead, a sheepish smile spreading across her face. "You could have announced yourself sooner, you know."

"Oh, but where's the fun in that?" he countered.

"Hmmph," she huffed, turning back towards the filing cabinet, still embarrassed. He chuckled again as she seemed to make a show of searching for the right spot to stick the file she was still holding. She let out another yelp of surprise as she suddenly felt his hand and hook on her waist. "How do you do that?"

"Do what, love?" He asked innocently. She bit back a sigh as she just barely felt the tip of his hook against her neck as he carefully drew her hair back. His hand, meanwhile, had settled on her hip.

"Sneak up on people like that?" She asked, somewhat breathless at his close proximity. He tapped his hook against her other hip.

"Pirate," he reminded her somewhat pointedly, making her close her eyes briefly in response. The memory of that particular sexual encounter was still fresh on her mind. " _Well, if it's the pirate you want, love._ " Her heartbeat sped up as she recalled exactly what he'd done after saying that.

"That's it." His eyebrow quirked at the suddenly needy tone to her voice. "I'm sticking a bell on you." Emma frowned as she looked at the file still in her hand. "What was I doing?"

"I believe you were about to file that," he all but purred in her ear. His smirk returned as she shivered slightly in response.

 _Damn_ _him_ , she thought. Leave it to her husband to somehow make filing papers hot. "Right," she nodded to herself. She cleared her throat, forcing herself to concentrate enough to stick the file where it belonged. Her now free hand came to rest on his.

"So is it true?" He wanted to know, though he made a point of keeping his voice soft.

"Is what true?" Emma found herself leaning back into him, needing more contact between them.

"The song." Her eyes fluttered closed again as his brushed his lips against the side of her neck. "What's the line? Ah yes." His lips skimmed her earlobe. "If you want to know if he loves you so, it's in his kiss. Is it?"

"It is," she smiled. "I mean, you show your love in a lot of ways, but yes. That's, um, what I was thinking about while that song played actually."

"Were you now?" He asked, sounding entirely too delighted by this revelation.

"Mm-hmm." She tugged on his hand to pull his arm more firmly around her waist before lightly sliding her hand along his forearm and back again. "I was thinking about you use your kisses to express your love. Not just for me, but for our girls too. I can always feel your love for me when you kiss me. And I'm positive it's the same for them."

"Good," he said simply. "Because I love you and our girls very." He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "Very much. And I don't want any of you to ever forget that."

"Like we ever could," she said softly. She was practically burning from the memory of him taking her against their bedroom door, but now she felt a rush of affection for him mixing in with the lust. He was remarkably skilled at doing that and it was one of the reasons why she loved him so. Why she loved being his wife. "You know we all adore you, right?"

"Aye, well. That's because you all have impeccable taste," he quipped, making her laugh.

"Mm." It was the sound of pure contentment as she relaxed against him, loving the feel of him against her back. "You, uh, want to know what I thinking about just before you came in and scared the crap out of me?"

This was, admittedly, a dangerous question to ask him and she knew it. Because she knew that it would only fuel his ego and heaven knew his ego didn't exactly need stroking. Not in this department, anyway. But she couldn't resist. Especially not when she knew that this was a surefire way to fully awaken the pirate that was always lurking just under the surface. And she found herself craving the pirate.

"I was thinking about the last time you were out on the submarine," she began, a smirk of her own appearing on her face at his answering hum of acknowledgement. "When I had to spend over two weeks of nights alone in our bed missing you. Do you remember that? We'd just put the girls to bed and I led you into our bedroom. And you..."

"And I," he cut in, his voice deliciously rough in her ear. "Too you right there against our bedroom door. Aye. I'm not likely to forget that anytime soon, I assure you. If memories serve, I had you again in our bed afterwards."

"That you did," she confirmed. "Captain." That earned her a low growl in her ear.

"Careful, love," he cautioned, huskily. "You do remember that we're in the Sheriff station, right? Where anyone could come in?"

"I do, yes," she said, deliberately pushing her hips back against his and making him curse. "But it's been pretty quiet all day and thinking about that has gotten me all hot and bothered."

"Swan," he warned, his grip on his self-control slipping more and more with each word she said.

"Surely no self-respecting pirate would leave his woman in this position." Emma turned in his arms and wound her arms around his neck, a coy smile playing on her lips as she continued. "You know, all wanton and willing."

"Why Mrs. Jones," he drawled, unable to keep a grin off his face as he studied her. "Is it my imagination or are you trying to proposition your deputy? Some might consider that bad form."

"I believe I implied that it was the pirate that I wanted, Mr. Jones," she teased him. "But if you'd like to play this game, let me remind you that I'm the Sheriff which makes you," she poked him on the chest, "my subordinate. And as such, you're supposed to do what I tell you. Is it bad form? Probably." She shrugged a shoulder as she traced his bottom lip with her finger. "But it would feel _so_ good."

"Oh, it would feel better than good, love," he assured her. "I promise you that."

"Mmm, so tell me. Which one do I get? The good little deputy who would never dream of doing anything inappropriate at work." She pouted a little to indicate what she thought of that prospect. "Or." The corners of her mouth tilted upwards, his eyes darkening to a cobalt blue as she ran her hand down his torso to cup him through his jeans. "The pirate who doesn't give a damn about what's appropriate and would have no problem taking his woman right here? Who do I get? Deputy Jones or Captain Hook? What name should I call you?"

"Let's go with my more colorful moniker," he said, darkly. "Hook." With that, he crashed his lips to hers in a searing kiss that sent her reeling even as it made her heart sing in victory. He used his hand to shove the filing cabinet drawer closed before backing her up against it.

"There's my pirate," she sighed in pleasure as he ravaged her neck with his mouth. She tilted her head back to give him better access. "Don't you dare stop."

"Wasn't planning on it," he said between kisses.

"This'll have to be fast," she reminded him, moaning as he palmed her breast over her shirt. "I need you."

"As you wish," he grunted, moving to unfasten her jeans and sliding his hand inside them. "Bloody hell, Swan."

"This is entirely your fault." She wriggled against his hand, loving the way it felt against her. She was amazed that she'd gotten the words out. "Hook." She found herself being spun around and then bent over her desk. She leaned on her forearms as he yanked both her jeans and underwear down to her knees.

The sound of his zipper was like music to her ears. It struck her that though the likelihood of someone coming in was slim, especially at this time of day, the risk was there all the same. Something about that knowledge made her want him all the more. "Take me, Hook," she demanded. "Don't...don't make me wait."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he managed as he made them both moan by pushing into her. It was exactly the way she wanted it: fast and hard and desperate. It didn't take long. She cried out his name when she came and dimly heard him cry out hers shortly afterwards.

"Holy hell," she gasped, a little while later, after he'd decided to clean her up. With his tongue. She'd remained on her forearms trying to catch her breath while he pulled out and grabbed a tissue from the box on the filing cabinet to hastily clean himself up. She'd heard his zipper close as she finally started to rise, about to ask him for a tissue when she'd felt his hand on her back urging her back down.

"Leave it to me, love," he'd said, instantly dropping to his knees before proceeding to, ahem, clean her most thoroughly. If that was what he wanted to call it, though she supposed she was clean by the time he'd finished. Somehow him using his tongue on her in her office the way he had was almost hotter than him taking her from behind in it. That orgasm seemed even more delicious than the first.

She'd made the mistake of mentioning that to him once she'd straightened back up and turned to face him, her jeans properly fastened once more. He'd responded by pointing out that it was more delicious for him too. The look in his eyes, combined with the way he'd deliberately licked his lips right before saying it, almost had her dragging him down to floor.

But she somehow resisted the urge, choosing instead to tug him to her and give him a kiss that warred between sultry and sweet. In a perhaps surprising twist, sweet won out in the end. She brushed her nose against his as it ended, beaming at him once she eased back to look into his eyes.

"What?" He asked, those blue eyes of his sparkling as he looked at her.

"I love you," she grinned at him. "A lot."

"I love you too," he grinned back, "a lot. Come here." He pulled her close, rubbing her back as she relaxed against him once more. A few moments later she felt him press his lips lovingly against the side of her head. And so her thoughts about his kisses came full circle.

She loved Killian so much. And his kisses.


	8. Catalina Pearl (2)

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

 **A/N: Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to leave a review, especially on that last one! I think I will do others like that every now and then. Thanks also to everyone who has taken the time to read any of these regardless of whether you've left a review or now. I have the next few of these mostly done, but wanted to say that if anyone has any ideas or scenarios involving the family (in any configuration) that they'd like to see let me know. And I'll see if I can do them. This one is what we'll call a Catalina mishmash. The main point of this one is to flesh her out as a character a bit more. Some of these things will be more important later. The next one will be more angsty and there's more Emma/Killian centered ones coming. In the meantime, hope you enjoy this one. :)**

 **Rating: K +**

* * *

There are things that Catalina Pearl knows beyond a shadow of a doubt to be true. Ice is cold. Fire is hot. And her daddy will always catch her when she falls.

Or jumps.

Catalina's always been an active child. Once she mastered the art of walking, she was off. Emma supposed that it was only fitting that her daughter enjoys running; heaven knows Emma's done a fair amount of that in her lifetime. Of course, Emma's running mainly consisted of running away from relationships while Catalina's running consists of, well, actual running.

When David asked her why she loves running so much, she said it was because she loves the feel of the wind in her hair as she runs. She seemed to have been born with a need for adventure. Killian thinks she got that from him and he's probably right. Whenever they all go out on the Jolly Roger, she always begs him to make it go faster.

In addition to running, she also has a bit of a love for climbing. Usually trees or playground equipment. And for some reason seems to enjoy jumping off of things. Like, say, swings.

She's also developed the somewhat odd habit of jumping off of things and into her father's arms.

It started off normally enough. Whenever she's been away from Killian for a few hours, say when he's out working, she always runs to him when he comes back. Runs and tries to jump up into his arms. That's the deal: she jumps up and he catches her.

Then one day they were at the playground. Catalina was up on a small bridge that was part of the playground equipment when she called out for her daddy to catch her before leaping off and into his arms. This has become a somewhat common occurrence, much to Emma's chagrin.

On this particular day, Emma is sitting on their usual park bench with Mary Margaret on one side and Henry on the other. Catalina, Clara and Neal are playing on the playground while David and Killian supervise, as is so often the case.

Today Catalina has climbed a little higher than normal so her now familiar cry of "Daddy, catch me!" almost gives Emma a heart attack. The structure she's standing on is not quite five feet high, but as far as Emma is concerned it may have well been over twenty. Catalina usually gives Killian more warning, but this time it seems like she says it only a split second before doing it.

And Killian caught her, though the momentum makes him stumble a bit. He managed to turn it into a spin that makes her shriek with laughter and everything is fine.

Emma shakes her head as Killian sets their daughter down. Who promptly comes running towards them when Emma calls her over. "Mommy, did you see me jump?" Catalina asked when she reached them.

"Yeah. About that," Emma replied, reaching to tuck a strand of her daughter's long blonde hair behind her ear. "Honey, you have to give Daddy a little more warning before you do that, okay?"

"Why?" Catalina looked puzzled.

"Because you have to give him time to catch you," Emma told her. "I don't want you to fall and get hurt." She watched as a look of utter bafflement appeared on her daughter's face. A look that tells Emma that it's never occurred to Catalina that Killian might not catch her. "Why do you always want Daddy to catch you?" she asked, suddenly curious.

"Because I know that he will." It's the way she said it that causes a rush of emotion to flood Emma's heart. She said it so matter of factly, like it's a given. For Catalina, she supposed that it is. "He always does."

And so he does. Catalina never wonders if Killian will catch her. She never hopes that he will. She _knows_ that he will. Her trust in her father is absolute.

Emma's gaze flickered over to her own father. He's more than earned her trust in the all too short time that she's had him in her life. She knows that she can trust him with her life and has done so on multiple occasions. She trusts him with her children's lives too, as well as Killian's. But that didn't change the fact that as a child, Emma never had anyone to catch her when she fell.

It's different for her girls.

Killian never had to earn their trust; he's had it from the very beginning. For good reason. He's always been there for them. Has kept them safe from the moment they were born. Since before, even. Emma smiled when she thought about how overprotective Killian had been both times she was pregnant. He was naturally protective to begin with, but her pregnancies took it to an entirely new level. It had annoyed her sometimes and she'd end up snapping at him over it.

But she'd never been able to stay annoyed for too long. Not when she knew that it was only because her loved her and their then unborn daughters so much. He never wanted anything bad to happen to any of them. It didn't hurt that he'd usually respond by apologizing while scratching at his ear in that adorable way he did whenever he got embarrassed. After years of being all alone, Emma had to admit there was something quite wonderful about being cared for like that.

She loved that her girls had always had someone to care for them like that. She loved that they had so much faith in their daddy. In her as well, but there was something special about the bond between a father and a daughter. She knew it because even as an adult there were still times when she needed her parents. And as much as she loves her mother, her natural instinct is to go to David first. Always.

"She's right, you know," Mary Margaret piped up, interrupting Emma's train of thought. "Killian always seems to know when either of the girls are in any kind of danger."

"It's like his superpower," Henry agreed.

It's true. Killian seemed to have a kind of a sixth sense where his girls are concerned and Emma knows that she's included in that.

As if to prove the point, Emma watched as Clara was walking across the same structure that Catalina had just jumped off of. Clara definitely does not share her sister's love of adventure and her movements tend to be more cautious, especially when standing up on anything relatively high.

To Emma's horror, a couple of kids rushed past her and caused her to to lose her balance. Killian, meanwhile, had turned his head to say something to David. She heard Clara yelp out a panicked "Daddy!" as she toppled off the side.

And landed safely in Killian's arms. He'd turned back just in time. Emma let out a sigh of relief as she watched Killian cuddle Clara close for a few moments and say something that makes her giggle. He then leaned in to kiss her temple before setting her safely down on the ground.

"See Mommy?" Emma looked at Catalina, who is grinning at her. "Daddy always catches us."

* * *

Another thing Catalina knows to true? Dancing makes everything better. Everyone who knows Catalina knows that her love for her family surpasses everything else. But after that? Her two favorite things are running and dancing. She just likes to move. It can be hard for her to stay still.

Which is why Emma and Killian decided to enroll her in a dance class when she's five years old. Oh, they're not learning anything too complicated, but Catalina loves it. Not only does it give her an outlet for the seemingly boundless energy she has, it's also let her meet other kids. For a social butterfly like Catalina, this is a dream come true.

When it comes to dancing with someone else, Killian is her favorite dancing partner. Though truth be told, her Grandpa David is a close second. Dancing with them makes her feel like a princess, especially when they indulge her requests to twirl her.

Twirling's her favorite.

She doesn't wear dresses or skirts every day, but when she does you can rest assured that she will spend a fair chunk of the day twirling around. When it comes to deciding which dresses are her favorite, it's rarely about the color. No, her favorites are the ones that fan out nicely when she spins.

Emma has never really been one for twirling herself, but Catalina has given her a certain appreciation for it. Killian still laughs when he thinks about walking in their bedroom to see if his wife was ready to leave for a date night only to find her spinning around in her dress to the delight of both of their girls. She tried to say that she was only doing it for their benefit, but it's a lie and they all know it.

That's one of the greatest things about Catalina. She has a way of making things fun. If there's some kind of event in town that involves dancing, Catalina will always get the various members of her family dancing if they aren't.

To this point, after her father and grandfather, Catalina's favorite dance partner is probably her sister. Which brings it back to the initial point: dancing makes everything better.

In Catalina's opinion, part of her job as big sister is to try and cheer up her little sister whenever she's sad. So when Clara is in poor spirits one day, Catalina's solution is to ask Emma to put on some music so she can get her sister to dance. Emma agrees, thinking it can't hurt anything. Clara, on the other hand, needed some convincing.

"But I don't want to dance, Lina," Clara protested. She'd had a hard time pronouncing Catalina when she first started talking and so had taken to calling her Lina. She's perfectly capable of saying Catalina now, but the nickname has stuck.

"Please Clara? It'll be fun." Catalina giggled when Clara merely arched her eyebrow in response in a perfect imitation of their father. "Come on, Clary Berry." Catalina urged, using a nickname Henry had given to their little sister when she was a baby. She reached out and grabbed Clara's hands to pull her off the couch.

As it happens, Clara actually likes to dance too; though not as much as her sister. The trouble is that she's too self-conscious to dance in front of anyone else. At least not of her own volition. So Catalina is often the one to get her going. And since Catalina is decidedly not shy, it somehow helps make Clara more comfortable.

It's not long before Clara gets caught up in Catalina's enthusiasm. It's hard not to, especially once Catalina employs her secret weapon: the twirl. Naturally. One of the reasons why Catalina likes dancing with her sister is that she's small enough that Catalina gets to twirl her. That's usually enough to get Clara giggling and tonight is no exception. It's not long before Catalina gets Emma to join in.

This is the sight Killian walked in on when he returned home with takeout from Granny's for dinner: that of his wife and daughters laughing and dancing like they don't have a care in the world. It's only a matter before Catalina convinces him to put the food down and dance with them.

* * *

Another thing Catalina knows to be true is that her parents worry that they don't give her enough attention sometimes. But they don't realize that Catalina understands how lucky she is. She has never had to wonder if she's loved; she knows she is. And not just that she's loved, but that she's loved a lot.

It's why she's so confident, so sure of herself and her place in the world. She has never doubted her worth. Never had to wonder if she's good enough. She knows that she has value because that's what her parents - and the rest of her family, really - have told her. It's not just that they say it either. They make a point of showing it as well.

It's this knowledge that makes it so easy for her to love other people. And she does. She has a genuine love for others, the kind of love that helps her see the best in people. She can always find something to like about everyone she meets. She makes friends easily because of it.

* * *

For all the things that Catalina knows, there's still a lot of things that she wonders. Like whether she has magic like she thinks she does or not.

She can't remember a time when she didn't know about magic. She knows Emma has it and has seen her use it countless times. Has seen Regina use it as well. She knows that everyone wonders if she'll have it, though no one pushes the issue. They wonder about Clara too.

As for Catalina herself, she strongly suspects that she does have it. Not only her, but her little sister as well. There's been two instances that seem to prove it, but she hasn't told either of her parents about them.

The first incident had happened some weeks ago when Catalina was in the living room playing one afternoon when it started to get dark. She'd gotten up and was reaching to turn a lamp on when the light suddenly came on all by itself. Without her actually touching it.

The only problem was that she hasn't been able to do it since. Not for lack of trying. She just can't seem to do it again. Sometimes she wondered if she'd just imagined doing it that first time, but she knows that she didn't. She didn't imagine it. She actually did it. She only wished she knew how.

Magic was the only thing that made sense.

The second incident happened more recently. Killian had come home with flowers for Emma one day. She'd put them in a vase and set it on the table in the alcove by their front door. It'd been a couple of days and they'd started to wilt.

* * *

Catalina and Clara were sitting next to each other while coloring at the table. They'd both been drawing flowers when Clara commented that she wished Mommy's flowers looked as pretty as they had a few days ago. She then asked Catalina to pass her a crayon that was out of her reach.

Then it happened.

Catalina felt her hands begin to tingle and when she handed the crayon to Clara, their hands touched. There was a small flash of light and then Clara gasped. "Lina! Look!"

The flowers suddenly looked the way they had when Killian had first brought them home. The sisters looked at each other with equally wide eyes. "Did we do that?" Catalina asked, stunned.

"I think so? I don't know..." Clara looked completely uncertain.

"Well, would you look at that." Both of them jumped at the sound of Killian's voice and turned their heads to look at him. "These flowers have perked up, haven't they?" His brow furrowed as he took in the looks on their faces. "Are you lasses alright? You seem spooked."

"No," Clara answered.

"Yes," Catalina said at the same time, shooting her sister a look. "You just scared us, Daddy. We didn't hear you coming."

"My apologies." He inclined his head towards them. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay," Catalina assured him, quickly. "Right Clara?"

"Right," Clara confirmed. She still seemed uncertain, but was happy enough to go along with it.

"Alright." Killian looked back and forth between them, still somewhat suspicious. "If you say you're okay, I'll have to suppose that you are."

"We are!" Catalina nodded. "Promise."

"Promise," Clara echoed.

Nothing like that has happened again. In her heart of hearts, Catalina does know that she has magic. Especially considering the strange way that being close to Emma while she was performing magic made Catalina's own hands tingle. It was like she was connected to her mother's magic in a way, like her mother's magic was calling out to her own. But aside from those two times, nothing ever comes out of it.

Not yet, anyway.


	9. Runaway (1)

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

 **A/N #1: Thanks, as always, to everyone who has been reading this so far! This is the first part of a two-parter, so this may or may not end on a bit of a cliffhanger. Not the happiest oneshot; in fact, this one is pretty angsty. This was one of those ideas that wouldn't leave me alone so I wrote it. Hope you enjoy it. I've added a second A/N at the end.**

 **Rating: K+**

* * *

The day Clara was born was one of the best days of Emma and Killian's lives. One of the worst days of their lives happened four years later. It was the day that Clara ran away from home.

It'd been a tough week on the nightmare front. Clara had had one every night. It was one of the weeks where Henry was at Regina's which had been both a blessing and a shame. A blessing because at least it meant that Henry had been spared from the horribleness of the week. A shame because his presence can help calm his sisters down and this week they could've used him.

Catalina especially could have used her big brother. Sometimes they get lucky and Catalina miraculously sleeps through Clara's screams, but it's bad when she doesn't. She worries about her sister so much. If it's a week when Henry's there, he'll tend to her while Emma and Killian comfort Clara. This is important, especially during those nights when Clara needs both of her parents.

Emma and Killian, meanwhile, feel like the worst parents in all of the realms. It doesn't seem like they're able to help either one of their girls. Clara had screamed so much that week that her voice was hoarse and there'd been times when Catalina had cried silent tears by herself because she thought Clara needed their parents more. Emma and Killian feel so damn useless and it's unbearable.

It got to be too much one night. They'd put both girls to bed and like all the other nights this week, stayed with Clara until she fell asleep. They kissed her goodnight and crept out of her bedroom, desperately hoping that she might sleep through the night this time.

Emma was despondent at they headed back downstairs and went to sit on their living room couch. They sat in silence for a long time. "It'll be okay." Killian said finally, gently rubbing her back. He'd lost count of how many times he'd said those words that week. He knew they weren't enough, but he said them anyway in the vain hope that they might make Emma feel even slightly better.

He knew they didn't. Not after this week. Not when they were both running on empty and exhausted. Not when they're both so incredibly worried about Clara.

"Will it?" Emma asked him, tears in her eyes. "Will it really be okay? The nightmares are getting worse. Nothing we do helps and now my magic's not working."

It was true. They'd long since learned that Emma's control over her magic slips whenever she's overly emotional or tired and lately she'd been both. "It'll come back. It always comes back," he said, soothingly. "You need to get more sleep."

"We all need more sleep." She leaned against him, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. "But I think we both know we won't get it. I won't be able to sleep well until Clara does."

"She's sleeping now," he reminded her.

"Yeah, but for how long? How long before the next dream starts?" She sniffled as she tried to snuggle closer to him. "What do you think it'll be tonight? What do you think those damn monsters will do to her tonight? Huh?"

Emma knew getting all worked up won't help anything, but she couldn't stop herself. "Do you think they'll try to drown her tonight? Or maybe they'll throw her in a pit and throw dirt on her. Maybe there's some new horror they haven't inflicted on her yet!"

It's not enough that Killian felt like a sorry excuse for a father these days; lately he'd been feeling like a sorry excuse for a husband as well. He couldn't seem to help _any_ of his girls; neither his daughters, nor his wife. "Emma." He tried because he had to try, but she ignored him.

"I don't know how much longer I can do this, Killian!" She pulled away from him suddenly, turning so she could look him in the eye. "I don't know how much longer I can stand there and watch our baby screaming for help and not be able to do anything about it! I don't know how much longer I can listen to her cry and not be able to comfort her! It's killing me!"

"Emma."

"It's killing me." This time she said it in a whisper. The burst of energy faded as quickly as it had come. "I hate this, Killian. I hate that we can't help her."

"I know." He tugged her back into his arms, guiding her head back to his shoulder as she dissolved into tears. "I know, my love. I hate it too."

* * *

Unbeknownst to either of them, Clara was on the stairs listening. She'd woken up and had slipped out of her bedroom to ask her parents for some water. Her throat hurt so much. But she heard her parents talking and decided not to say anything. Tears filled her eyes as she listened to Emma cry.

She knows that her parents and big brother and sister are worried about her dreams. She didn't want them to worry so she tried to think about happy things at night before she fell asleep. She tried wishing her bad dreams away, but it didn't work. Nothing's worked. She knows that she's the reason her mommy was crying. She knows that she's the reason her daddy was so upset.

She knows that she's nothing more than a burden.

Except that she's isn't. Neither of her parents would ever call her that. Would ever think that. She is their baby, one of their precious little girls and they wouldn't trade her away for anything. They love her so much, more than either of them could ever properly express.

But Clara didn't know that.

What she did know is that she's not like the rest of her family. She knew that she was different because so many people have taught her that she was and that that wasn't okay. She knows that there's something wrong with her. The dreams only proved it.

Catalina didn't get dreams like hers. Catalina's bad dreams don't cause her to start screaming and not be able to stop. She doesn't go into complete hysterics after she has one. Clara would give anything to be like her big sister. But she's not.

She's broken.

She's nothing more than a broken burden with bad dreams. Her family would be better off without her in it. She knows they would. It broke her heart, but that didn't make it any less true.

Except that it, of course, wasn't true. It couldn't be farther from the truth, in fact. But she didn't know that.

So she forced herself to get up and creep back to her bedroom. She waited until she heard her parents coming up the stairs. She turned so she was facing her window and pretended to be asleep. She knew that they'd check on her before they went to bed and sure enough, she soon heard her bedroom door open.

"There you see?" It was her daddy's voice. He was talking softly so he wouldn't wake her. "She's fast asleep."

"Sleep well, baby." That was Mommy.

"We love you, Clara," Daddy again.

 _I love you, Daddy,_ she thought, tears streaking silently down her face. _I love you, Mommy. I'll miss you._

Her door closed and several seconds later she heard her parents' bedroom door open and close. She stayed in her bed for a few more minutes, just in case. Then, when she was sure that the coast was clear, slipped back out. She grabbed Jolly and then snuck out of her room.

She paused for a moment to look at her sister's bedroom door. She was going to miss her sister too. She was going to miss them all so much. "I love you, Lina," she whispered. "Goodbye."

Clara looked sadly at her parents' bedroom door before tiptoeing down the stairs and over to the side door which she's figured out how to unlock. She made sure to close the door behind her. And then quietly slipped away into the night.

* * *

 **A/N#2: In regards to whether or not a 4 year old running away is realistic, all I can say is that it definitely does happen. I've come across real life stories of children as young as 3 sneaking out of their homes. Kids can be shockingly resourceful. A kid who has a pirate and a magic wielder for parents would likely be more so. It's safe to say that Clara is not exactly a typical child. As far as how she gets where she ends up, that'll be explained later on. ;)**


	10. Runaway (2)

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

 **A/N #1: Shoutout to Emilee Amethyst whose prediction was right. It gets brought up in this part, but there is a little more to the story that gets revealed later on. Namely, how Clara managed to get where she ends up.** **At this point, Emma and Killian's main concern is finding her. They aren't going to be too worried about the how of it. Not right at this moment. Of course, they'll be interested in the how later on, but right now? They just want to find their daughter and bring her home. But the how will be further addressed down the road. In the meantime, let's see whether or not Emma and Killian were successful. Thanks for the reviews! Constructive criticism is welcome, but rudeness is not. To the person concerned with logistics, just because Belle thought things happened a certain way does not mean that they did. Hint: that's actually _not_ how it happened. ****And there actually has been a hint in one of the chapters about the how. In any event, hope everyone enjoys the conclusion to this two parter. If not, well, I hope that you find a story you do enjoy. :)**

 **Rating: K+**

* * *

Killian was in the kitchen making coffee when he found out that his youngest daughter was missing.

"Killian?!" Emma ran down the stairs and ended up barreling right into him. "Killian!"

"Emma?" He asked, alarmed. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Oh Killian," she sobbed. "She's gone."

"What are you talking about?" He eased her back to look at her face. "Who's gone?"

"Clara. I...I went to check on her, but she's gone! I can't find her anywhere!" Emma cried.

"What? No...no, I'm sure she's not," he said, breaking away from her. He ran up the stairs and into Clara's room, Emma right on his heels. "Clara? Clara!"

"Killian, she's not here!" Emma tried, but he refused to believe her.

"She has to be here somewhere! She wouldn't just leave!" Though as Killian searched her room, his heart sank lower and lower inside his chest. "Clara!"

"She took Jolly," Emma said, her voice shaking with fear.

Killian tunneled his hand through his hair as he tried to think. "Maybe she's hiding." He didn't believe the words as they came out of his mouth. He knew that she wasn't hiding. She never ignored him when he called.

"Oh Killian," Emma sniffled. "What are we going to do?" As the Savior, Emma had learned how to stay calm in battle. She could usually stay focused on the matter at hand, but this felt different. Clara was so young and so small and thinking about what could happen to her was more than Emma could take. "What are we going to do?"

"We're going to find her," Killian said, forcing himself to sound calmer than he felt. For Emmja's sake. "Try doing a locator spell."

"But my magic - " she began.

"I know. But you have to try," he cut her off. She nodded, picking up one of Clara's toys and trying to summon up her magic. But nothing happened.

"It's not working!" Emma exclaimed.

"Then try harder!" Killian snapped. He regretted it a moment later when he caught the look of devastation on his wife's face. He sighed. "I'm sorry, Emma. I just..."

"It's okay," Emma said quietly. "Me too."

"Daddy?" Both Emma and Killian look up at the sound of Catalina's voice. She stood in the doorway, her green eyes wide with alarm. "What's going on? Why are you shouting?" There was a pause as she looked around the room. "Where's Clara?"

"We...we don't know," Killian answered honestly. "But we'll find her," he added quickly, taking note of the looks of fear on both of their faces. "Come here." He offered his hand to Catalina and his hook to Emma. "It's going to be alright. We're going to find her. I promise."

* * *

Killian found himself growing more frantic with each minute that passed. After a relatively quick discussion, he'd decided to take a loop around their block to look for Clara. They were hoping, perhaps foolishly, that she hadn't gone far. If nothing else, that felt like the logical way for them to begin their search.

Emma, meanwhile, had stayed home with Catalina for the time being. Emma and Killian had decided that someone needed to remain at their house on the off chance that Clara happened to return. When Killian had left, she'd been on the phone with her parents. Once her parents got there, Mary Margaret would stay with Catalina while Emma and David headed out to help Killian look for Clara. Killian knew that it was killing Emma to be stuck at home while he searched for their little girl. But ultimately, Emma had decided that Killian should be the one to go hoping that the bond that he and Clara shared would somehow aid him in his search.

He knew that Emma would be out the door the moment her parents arrived. She'd also be calling Regina and Henry once she got off the phone with her parents. They knew that they needed reinforcements. The more people looking for their daughter, the better.

Now he was circling back towards their house. He didn't know why he'd thought walking was a good idea when driving would've been so much faster. He supposed it was because while he'd learned how to drive, he was much more comfortable on foot.

"Killian!" He looked up to see Mary Margaret hurrying towards him, Neal in tow. David's truck sat in front of Emma's Bug and he could see that David was still inside of it.

"We rushed over here as fast as we could!" Mary Margaret explained, throwing her arms around him. "Oh Killian. It's going to be alright. We'll find her."

"Let's hope so," Killian replied, the panic he was feeling creeping into his voice.

"No." Mary Margaret pulled back. Taking both hand and hook in her hands, she locked her eyes on his. "We will find her," she said firmly. "I know how worried you must be and I'm worried too, but we can't give in to panic. We have to stay focused, okay? We can't lose hope. We'll find her. That's what our family does, remember?"

"Yes." He gave her a grateful smile. "You're right. I have to believe you're right. But Clara...she's so small and she's so fragile."

"I know," Mary Margaret replied, her eyes soft with compassion. "But I think she's stronger than we tend to think she is. I'm sure she's alright." She nodded towards David's truck. "You go with David. I'll help hold down the fort here." She lifted her hand to his cheek. "Go find my granddaughter and bring her home."

* * *

David glanced over at Killian as they drove around town looking for Clara. His son-in-law could not seem to be able to stop fidgeting. "Killian." David sighed when he didn't answer. "Hook!"

"What?" Killian barked.

"Let's go over this again, okay? Clara didn't just decide to leave out of the blue. Did something happen?" David asked, turning his attention back to the road.

"Well, obviously," Killian said, sarcastically. "This week has been a bloody nightmare." A humorless laugh escaped as he considered his word choice. "It's been a whole week of them, in fact."

"What?" David asked, confused. They came to a red light and David took the opportunity to look at Killian again. "What?" He repeated the question as he saw a look of horror slowly wash across his son-in-law's face.

"She must have heard my and Emma's conversation about her nightmares." Killian covered his face with his hand and everything suddenly clicked into focus. "Bloody hell."

"Her nightmares? What are you talking about?" Killian froze. He'd mainly been thinking out loud and it hadn't occurred to them that, of course, David had no idea what he was talking about. A few beats passed where Killian debated whether or not he should tell David the truth.

"Killian." There was a hint of warning in David's voice. "What's going on?" Killian slowly turned to look at him and the moment his gaze met David's, he knew he had to tell his father-in-law about Clara's dreams. Because not only was David Clara's grandfather, he'd become one of Killian's best friends. Second only to Emma.

The weight of keeping this secret suddenly seemed too much for Killian to bear. Especially considering that Clara had seen fit to run away from home because of it. So he let out a sigh and finally told David the truth. Like he and Emma should have done from the beginning.

"So you think that Clara heard you and Emma talking and that's why she ran away." David sighed after Killian had finished filling him in on Clara's dreams. "Well, yeah, that would've done it."

"If that was your attempt at making me feel better, you failed," Killian responded bitterly, running his hand through his hair for probably the millionth time that morning. He was sure that he more than likely resembled a hedgehog by this point, but didn't care.

"Sorry," David said and, to his credit, sounded like he meant it. He waited a couple of beats. "You should have told us."

"I know."

David nodded at Killian's response. He could see how much Clara missing was ripping his son-in-law apart, so he dropped it. Lecturing Killian on why he should've told himself and Snow about Clara's dreams wasn't going to help. And besides, that didn't matter right now. The only thing that mattered was finding Clara and bringing her home.

He opened his mouth to tell Killian as much at the same time Killian opened his to apologize. But then Killian's cell phone rang. Killian shot a look at David before answering.

"Hello?" Killian answered, having gotten more used to cell phones over the years.

"Killian? It's Belle," the voice on the other end replied.

"Oh Belle, hi. Listen, this isn't a good time. Clara's missing and we -" he started.

"That's why I'm calling!" Belle cut him off. "She's not missing. She's here."

"What? Clara's with you?" Killian asked, he glanced over at David, a hopeful expression on his face as he waited for Belle to respond.

"Yes," Belle confirmed. "I was going around turning on all the lights at the library and found her curled up in one of the chairs. One of the locks on one of the windows got broken a few days ago. She must have gotten in through that. But yes, she's here."

"Is she okay? Is she hurt?" Killian demanded.

"She's fine!" Belle said quickly. "Well, she does seem a little upset, but she's here and she's safe."

"She's safe," Killian breathed. "Clara's safe." He closed his eyes for a moment, relief washing over him. David clapped him on the shoulder in support. "Keep an eye on her, alright? We're on our way." He turned to David as he hung up. "She's at the library."

* * *

"Belle." She was standing at the front desk when Killian rushed in, David on his heels. "Where is she? Where's my daughter?"

"In the children's section," Belle answered, though she moved to stop him. "Killian."

"What?" He asked, impatient. Right then the only think he wanted to do was get to his little girl.

"It's just that we talked for a little bit when she woke up and, well." Belle worried her lip while she thought about how to continue.

"Well what?" Killian demanded.

"I asked her what she was doing here and she got so upset. She needs you, I know she does. But Killian, she's so scared." She watched Killian's brow furrow in confusion.

"Scared? Of what?" He asked.

"Seeing you," Belle answered, gently. "She knows she was wrong to run away. And she knows that you and Emma must be upset and." She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I think she's worried that you might hate her now."

"What?" Killian couldn't believe what he was hearing. "How could she ever think that?"

"Because she's just a little girl," Belle offered. "A scared little girl who loves her parents and doesn't like causing them pain. She...she told me that she thinks she's a burden."

"Oh Clara," Killian sighed, sadly. He looked over at David. "Maybe...maybe it'd be better if you got her?"

"No, it wouldn't be. That would only make it worse. No." David shook his head, unnerved by how unsure of himself Killian suddenly seemed. "Belle's right. She needs her father to tell her that he loves her and that everything is going to be alright. She needs you."

"Right," Killian nodded, trying to pull himself together. "You're right. Would you mind calling Emma to tell her what's going on?"

"I'll call Emma," David assured him. "Go talk to your daughter."

* * *

As Killian had assumed, Emma had gone out to join the search once Mary Margaret had come inside. She'd waited just long enough to let her mother give her a hug and a word of encouragement before setting out in her Bug. She'd just made it to the park they always went to when David called. Emma couldn't remember the last time she'd been so relieved. Her baby was safe. Later she would wonder just how Clara had managed to make it all the way to the library by herself, but at the moment she didn't care.

Clara was safe. That was the important thing. They could wonder about the how of it some other time. Right now, the next step was for her and Killian to do their best to make sure that Clara never wanted to run away ever again. Emma had wanted to drive straight to the library and had been surprised when David gently suggested that she go home instead. He told her what Belle has told them and thought that it might be best for Clara to only have to deal with one parent at a time. Let Killian talk to her first, David advised. He'd figure out the best way to deal with Clara's fears.

As much as she wanted to see her little girl, Emma felt like her father had a point. Killian had a way with words and a talent for knowing what his girls needed. He'd know what to say to Clara and he'd bring her home; she knew he would. And Emma would be there waiting for them when he did.

* * *

In the meantime, Belle led Killian to the children's section and pointed out the chair where Clara sat. The back of which was facing them so he couldn't see her face. Belle gave him an encouraging pat on the back before heading back to the main reception desk where David would be waiting.

Perhaps it was strange for someone who had lived for centuries as Killian had to be so nervous about approaching a small child, but he was. He had no idea what he was going to say to his daughter. He could only hope that the words he ended up choosing would be the right ones.

He made his way over to her slowly. Clara was hunched over, her head hung in shame. She had Jolly clenched in a kind of death grip. She looked so sad that it nearly ripped Killian's heart in two as he knelt before her.

"Clara," he said her name softly, wincing when she flinched. To think that there was a time where Killian had enjoyed making other people afraid of him. What a fool he had been then. Though it was one thing for an enemy or even a stranger to fear him. It was quite another for his own daughter to be afraid of him. He didn't like it at all. Hated it, in fact.

He didn't think he had the words to express how much he hated it. Hated himself knowing that he was apparently the cause for her current sadness. "Clara, it's Daddy. Would you please look at me?" This time he could have sworn that he felt a piece of his heart break off when she shook her head, a lone tear forming a path down her cheek.

"Why not?" He asked her carefully. "Why won't you look at me?"

"Because I know I'm not supposed to leave the house by myself." Her voice was so quiet that he could barely hear her. "Now you hate me."

"Clara Marie Jones," he said, incredulously. "I most definitely do not hate you."

"You...you don't?" The question was asked tentatively, but he could hear the hope in it.

"Look at me," he said, putting his hand under her chin and gently tilting her face up towards his. Her eyes flickered up to meet his and he saw that they were red from her tears.

"Oh Clara," he sighed, sadly. "My darling little girl. I want you to listen to me very carefully. Can you do that?" A small nod. "Good, because this is important. There is no way that I could ever hate you. That simply isn't possible."

"It's not?" Her eyes were pleading with his.

"Of course it's not," he assured her. "Do you really have no idea how much I love you? How much Mommy loves you? We love you so very much. There isn't anything you could ever do to change that."

"But I ran away..." She trailed off.

"Aye, you did," he nodded. "Could you tell me why you did?"

"I...I thought you'd be better off without me," she admitted, looking away.

"And what could have possibly made you think that?" He asked, though he had his suspicions.

Suspicions that she immediately confirmed.

"Because of my dreams," she sniffled. "Because I can't make them stop and they make Mommy cry. And they make you sad." She looked back at him, shyly. "I don't want you to be sad."

"Clara, sweetheart, I appreciate that you care about our feelings, but do you know what made me more sad?" He waited for a moment before continuing. "Waking up and discovering that you were gone. What if something had happened to you? What if you'd gotten hurt? What would we do if we ever lost you?"

He shook his head, tears finding their way down his own cheeks at the thought. "I couldn't bear losing my Clara. Neither could Mommy." He used his thumb to wipe away some of her tears. "Not to mention Henry and Catalina. Your grandparents. You must know how important you are to all of us. We love you so much, darling."

"But you hate my dreams..."

"Because we love you and we hate what they do to you. If it was up to me and Mommy, you would never have another bad dream ever again," he told her. "But as terrible as your dreams are, they could never make us stop loving you."

"Never?" Her voice was so small.

"Never," he confirmed, watching as her lip began to quiver. "Come here." She didn't need to be told twice. She instantly slid off the chair and threw her arms around his neck, holding onto him for dear life.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," she whispered.

"Ssh." He placed a series of kisses on the side of her head as he held her close. "Just don't scare me like this ever again. Okay, love?" He felt her nod against his shoulder. "That's my girl. Now, what do you say we go home to Mommy?"

* * *

The drive home was a quiet one. Clara sat sandwiched between her father and grandfather, Killian's arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders. He could feel the anxiety pouring off of her in waves. He'd done a good job of allaying a lot of her fears, but he knew she wouldn't be okay until she saw her mother. He understood that though he had told her how much Emma loved her, she needed to hear it from her.

"Home sweet home," David offered as he parked the truck in front of Emma's Bug.

"Aye." Killian said it brightly, hoping that it might lift Clara's mood in some way. He got out of the truck, but Clara stayed where she was.

"Come on," David said, putting his arm around her shoulders and leaning down to kiss the top of her head. "It'll be okay, little duck. You'll see." Clara nodded before taking Killian's offered hand and letting him help her out of the truck.

They turned towards the house and Clara instinctively hid behind Killian at the sight of Emma sitting on their front steps, looking just as anxious as her daughter. For a few moments mother and daughter considered each other cautiously. Emma remaining on the steps and Clara peeking out from behind Killian. David, meanwhile, had brought Jolly out of the truck and stood back waiting to see how things would unfold.

"Alright," Killian muttered. "Come on, darling." It was clear that he'd have to be the one to get the ball rolling. He knew them both so well. Clara was worried that Emma would be angry at her while Emma was undoubtedly worried that she might say something to make their daughter want to leave again. "It's alright." That was said to Clara.

To Emma, he said, "Look Swan, I went out for a drive and brought back our pirate Princess for you, my Queen." He pivoted to the side and made a sweeping bow. Sometimes it was best to go with the theatrical, he mused to himself. If only to ease the tension. "Tell me, love. Are you pleased?" He said this with a lift of his eyebrows that told her that Clara needed to hear the words.

"Oh yes." Emma's voice broke and she cleared her throat before continuing. "I'm extremely pleased, my Captain. I missed my pirate Princess." She smiled at her daughter. "Very, very much." She stayed where she was, but opened her arms. "Maybe the Princess could come give me a hug?"

That was all the encouragement that Clara needed as evidenced by the way she ran into her mother's arms. "I'm sorry, Mommy," Clara cried, wrapping her arms around Emma's neck tightly.

"It's okay, baby, it's okay," Emma said soothingly, lifting her hand to cradle her daughter's head against her shoulder. "Just don't ever do that again. Okay?"

Clara nodded before pulling back, those blue eyes so like her father's meeting Emma's. "I'm sorry my dreams make you sad, Mommy."

"I'm sorry that I can't make them stop," Emma said softly.

"We'll figure it out," Killian said, coming to sit beside Emma on the steps.

"Daddy's right," Emma nodded. "We'll figure out how to make your dreams go away."

"But what if you can't?" Clara asked, anxiously looking back and forth between them.

"Then we'll figure out how best to deal with them," Killian promised. "We're here for you, sweetheart. You won't ever have to suffer alone."

"That's right. You're never alone, baby. And I promise that we will never," Emma reached up to wipe away a few of the tears rolling down her daughter's face. "Ever stop loving you. No matter what happens, okay? You're our little girl and we love you. No matter what."

"So do I," David spoke up, coming up beside his granddaughter. "And so does Grandma." He brought his hand to the back of her head, smoothing her hair back. "So no more running away. Okay, little duck?"

"Okay, Grandpa," Clara said, softly.

"Now that we have that settled," Emma smiled up at her father. "How about another hug?" Clara didn't need to be asked again. She put her arms back around her mother and Killian put his around them both.

"I love you, Mommy," Clara whispered. "I love you, Daddy."

"We love you, baby," Emma said softly.

"Aye. That we do," Killian said, holding them both a little tighter. "Very, very much."

* * *

 **A/N #2: I hinted to this in the first note, but now I'll make it absolutely clear. Clara did _not_ break into the library; that's what Belle incorrectly assumed. As previously stated, more things about this incident will be revealed later on. That very point will be addressed when Emma and Killian start thinking about it. That was always the plan. They were always going to come to the conclusion that Belle must have been mistaken. Because she was. I included that for a reason. This was the end of the two shot; not the end of the full story about this. With the suitcase, I acknowledged in the first part that I'd initially made it seem like she packed it like an adult would and that was a mistake. I did rework that part, but apparently failed. I was thinking about how I'd "pack" some toys (I.e toss them in some kind of bag) to take with me to visit my grandparents as a kid. Since that's become a point of contention, I've decided to remove all mentions of it. I stand by the rest of it. **

**I have, in fact, done research on the motor and development skills of children, but have spent enough time with kids to know that they aren't all the same. Kids develop differently, they learn differently. I've been amazed at some of the things I've seen little kids do. Things that they shouldn't be able to do at their ages. And I do know of young children who have run away from home. In the middle of the night even. There was a news story a while back about a 4 year old who snuck out of her house at 3am in the rain in Philadelphia because she wanted a slushie. A city bus driver saw her, picked her up and called the police who took her to the hospital. Her parents didn't find out she'd left until the hospital called. Does the typical 4 year old do things like that? Of course not. But that one did. The point is that there will always be kids who are more advanced than others. Some young children are pretty exceptional. Clara is one of them.**

 **The draft posted, as flawed as it might have been, was also not the first draft written. There were rewrites. And I am well aware of what the real world is like. :)**


	11. 9 Months (1)

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

 **A/N: Thanks to everyone that's been reading and especially everyone who has given me encouragement. I'd originally planned to upload a different oneshot, but got inspired to write this one so I went with it. I know of so many people who have either just had a baby or found out that they or one of their loved ones is going to have one. So I thought it might be interesting to go back and see some of the highlights from Emma's pregnancy with Catalina. Including how different it was from her pregnancy with Henry. The next one will pick it up when she realizes she's in labor. You'll also get to see Henry meeting his sister for the first time.**

 **Rating: K+**

* * *

Pregnant. She was _pregnant_. Emma couldn't believe it. She'd strongly suspected that she was - she'd been through this before, after all. She'd just wanted to be absolutely certain before she told Killian. There'd been a few times where they'd thought she might be pregnant and each time they'd been so disappointed to learn that they were wrong. She'd wanted to spare him from another disappointment. So she'd taken a pregnancy test and then scheduled an appointment with her doctor to verify the result.

This time she'd been right. She was going to have a baby, her and Killian's first.

She'd kept it together while talking with the doctor and on the way out of the hospital. But then she'd made it to her Bug and that was when the full realization that she was pregnant hit.

The first time she'd been pregnant, she'd been a scared teenager in jail with no way to take care of a baby. And no one to help her try to figure it out. She'd known that she'd have to give it up. So her pregnancy with Henry hadn't exactly been a happy one. Quite the opposite, in fact.

There had been brief flashes of joy, though. Like when she'd felt him move for the first time. There'd been a moment when she'd been struck by an incredible feeling of happiness and wonder. Only to be overcome by a wave of sorrow and regret when the reality of her situation came crashing down all around her. This seemed to happen every time he kicked, only the following moments of sorrow seemed to get worse as the pregnancy progressed.

She'd given birth to Henry while handcuffed to a hospital bed and left holding the hand of a nurse she didn't know because she hadn't had anyone else. It had been one of the most painful and traumatic experiences of her life, in more ways than one.

Emma had never imagined that she would one day be reunited with her son, let alone ever have any kind of relationship with him. But then he'd shown up at her door all those years ago which had set everything in motion.

Now not only did she have her son back, she had a home and a family. She had friends who loved her and who she knew she could count on. More than that, she'd had her walls completely torn down by a handsome pirate that she'd fallen head over heels in love with despite her determination not to do just that. And it'd easily been one of the best things that had ever happened her. She now had a husband she seemed to fall more in love with all the time. A husband who felt the same about her in return.

"Oh my gosh," she said, covering her mouth with her hand as an unexpected giggle escaped. "I'm pregnant," she whispered the words to herself, tears filling her eyes. "I'm pregnant!" she repeated joyfully, louder this time. She pressed both hands to her still flat abdomen and looked down at it. "Hey baby." She rubbed her stomach gently. "It's Mommy. I'm going to take really good care of you, okay? And wait until you meet your daddy," she smiled. "You hit the jackpot with him. He's going to be such a good daddy! Yes he is. You're going to love him."

Thinking of Killian had her suddenly dying to see Killian, so she fumbled for her keys and then giggled as she tried to get them in the lock. It was December and felt like it - normally she'd be trying to get in her car as fast as possible, but she didn't have it in her to be annoyed at her inability to open her door.

She was giddy, that was it. Emma was in love and pregnant and so happy that she thought she could hug anyone who walked by. Granted, she was sure that anyone who did walk by would think she was a crazy person, but she couldn't help herself. She was just so happy and so desperate to get to Killian and tell him the wonderful news. She was having a baby. His baby.

But as she finally got in her car, she found herself thinking that there was one person that she needed to tell first. The person who had set her down the path that had ultimately led her to Killian in the first place. "You know what, baby? What do you say we go find your big brother?"

* * *

Emma had found Henry at Granny's with Violet and had pulled him aside to tell him the news. He'd been floored to learn that she'd decided to tell him before telling Killian. She'd explained that if it wasn't for him than she never would have even met Killian. Telling Henry first had just seemed like the right thing to do.

She wanted to make sure that Henry was okay with it. Her and Killian had had a talk with him about it when they'd first decided to start trying, both of them wanting to hear his thoughts on the matter. They'd done it out of love and respect for Henry. Neither of them ever wanted him to feel like they were trying to replace him because they weren't. Henry had told them that he was okay with it, but Emma hadn't been convinced.

She'd had another talk with him later on, only to find out during it that Killian had also talked about it with him again. That second talk with Henry had brought him and Killian closer, Emma learned. During _her_ second talk with Henry, he'd told her that he'd been touched by Killian wanting to speak with him again. Just the two of them. Emma remembered the way Henry had then looked down, somewhat embarrassed, as he told her that Killian had really felt like his father at that moment.

This had added a surprising dimension to Emma and Henry's second talk. They spoke of Neal and Henry admitted that a part of him felt guilty about feeling that way about Killian. Especially because he really liked having a father figure in his life now. It made him feel like he was disrespecting Neal's memory somehow.

To which Emma had told him that she thought that Neal would be happy to know that Henry had a father figure in his life. She really believed that he would be. Killian could never take Neal's place and he wasn't trying to, Emma had assured Henry. But he loved Henry and it was okay for Henry to love him too. It didn't mean that he loved Neal any less.

Henry had gone on to admit that he'd struggled a bit knowing that any future siblings he had would always know what it was like to have a father while he'd grown up without one. This had led to Emma bringing up her initial feelings about her brother Neal; she'd felt the same way when he'd been born. She'd gone on to reassure Henry that she'd made peace with her feelings a long time ago and no longer harbored any resentment for her brother. Or her parents.

She'd also made a point to stress the fact that any children that she and Killian had could never take Henry's place. They loved Henry and thought that he'd be a wonderful big brother to any children they had. The conversation had ended in tears for both of them. Emma felt like it was one of the most important conversations they had ever had. By the end of it, Henry had assured her that he really was okay with her and Killian having children and she'd believed him.

It was all well and good to say that when there wasn't a baby on the way, but now there was. It was important to her to know how he felt about it; she was having the baby no matter what, but Henry's feelings mattered. She wanted him to share her joy. And if he didn't, she wanted to know so they could work through it.

To her tremendous relief, Henry seemed genuinely happy about it. It felt like a huge weight had been taken off of her shoulders. With it gone, however, worries that Killian would somehow _not_ be happy about it came flooding to the surface.

Which meant that Henry'd had to talk her down. Killian would be absolutely thrilled, Henry was sure of it. He'd then jokingly urged her to stop stalling, find Killian and tell him already.

Emma argued that she was not stalling. Henry then pointed out that taking the time to make an argument about how she wasn't stalling was a way of stalling.

He was right. So she took his not so subtle advice and left to go find her husband.

* * *

Emma had intended to head straight to the Jolly Roger, she really had, but had been distracted by a gift shop advertising baby stuff and decided to go in. She'd been trying to think of the best way to tell Killian and thought that maybe it'd help to find something to give him. So she went in, taking her time looking around. What she still stalling? Not really.

Okay, she was _definitely_ stalling.

She was pretty sure that Henry was right when he'd said that Killian would be thrilled, but still. There was that tiny part of her that worried he wouldn't be. Surely a gift wouldn't hurt, right?

Emma's eyes lit up as something caught her attention. It was perfect. She snatched it up and then got in line to pay before heading out to the Jolly Roger.

* * *

Bolstered by her purchase, Emma had a definite bounce in her step as she walked towards her husband's ship, despite the chill in the air. It'd occurred to her on the way that she might be too late and he could be on his way home by now, but she'd wanted to stop by just in case he wasn't.

Mr. Smee was coming off the ship as she reached it. "Oh, Mrs. Jones, hello," he said, pulling his hat off his head and giving her a slight bow in greeting.

"Hey," she smiled at him. "Is the Captain still here?"

"He is. He's below deck going over the logbook," Smee told her.

"Great. Think he'll mind if I hop on?" She asked, jokingly.

"I wouldn't think so," he smiled at her. "Enjoy your evening, ma'am."

"You too," she replied, waving at him as she boarded the ship. She headed belowdecks and found Killian there as promised. He was standing at the end of the large table, his chin resting on the curve of his hook as he scribbled something in his logbook.

Killian hadn't noticed her yet, so she took a moment just to watch him. His brow was furrowed in concentration as he consulted another book that lay beside the logbook before adding another note to the latter. His hair was tousled from being out in the elements earlier. There was a lock of hair that had fallen across his forehead and her fingers were suddenly itching to brush it back into place. He looked so handsome when he was concentrating, she thought, just barely biting back a giggle. Who knew that being pregnant could make her so giggly?

She shook her head, amused at herself, and then cleared her throat to get his attention. "Excuse me Captain? It's awfully cold out there and I was hoping that I could take refuge on your ship."

Killian looked up, a smile on his face as his eyes fell on her. "A woman as beautiful as you is always welcome on my ship," he assured her. She smiled as she closed the gap between them. "Hello, love," he said softly as she reached him.

"Hi," she whispered, suddenly overcome by a wave of emotion. She watched as the smile slowly faded from his face to be replaced by an expression of worried confusion.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Everything is perfect," she answered, somewhat breathlessly. "I, um, brought you a present," she told him, holding up the bag containing her purchase.

"Did you now?" he asked, surprised. "Whatever for?"

"What, does a wife need a reason to buy her husband a present?" She asked, a sly smile on her face now. Though it faded a few moments later as her stomach seemed to fill with butterflies. Why was she so damned nervous? "Take a look," she suggested, trying to keep her voice light and not quite succeeding.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked.

"Just take a look," she said in response, reaching up to brush the wayward lock of hair away from his forehead.

"Alright." He studied her for a couple of beats before reaching into the bag and pulling out a silver flask. He looked back at her, seeming even more confused than he'd been moments before. Adorably so, in her opinion. "A flask?"

"Look at it," she nodded to it.

"It's a very nice flask, Emma, thank you. But I don't..." His expression slowly changed as he finally took a good look at it. There, embossed on the silver, were the words *promoted to Daddy*. Her eyes filled with tears as she watched a look that she could only describe as cautious wonder appear on his face as his eyes met hers again. "Swan?"

"Killian," she smiled at him as she took his hand and pressed it against her stomach. "We're having a baby."

"We're having a baby," he repeated, sounding amazed. "You're sure?"

"Yes." Her smile widened as she watched his face light up with a radiant smile. "Are you ha-" He kissed her before she could finish and she kissed him back, happily. She'd been trying to ask if he was happy. Considering how passionately he was kissing her, she could only surmise that he was.

She was right.

When that kiss finished, they broke apart just long enough to get some air before kissing again. And again. Eventually finding the way to the bed in his Captain's quarters.

It was a while before they made it back home.

* * *

Emma studied her stomach in the full length mirror in her and Killian's bedroom. She was now in the twelfth week of her pregnancy and had been delighted to realize that she was starting to show.

Her first trimester hadn't been the most pleasant and she was happy to be coming up to the end of it. Only a couple more weeks. Hopefully her second trimester would be more pleasant. But for now, morning sickness was the last thing on her mind as she examined the little bump that was her baby. It wasn't anywhere near big enough to be noticed by most people yet; her clothes would keep it hidden for now. But she knew it was there and that made her happy.

"What are you doing?" Emma looked up at the sound of Killian's voice. He was in the process of buttoning up his shirt as he exited their bathroom.

"Come here." She turned her attention back to her reflection and smiled when she saw his reflection join hers. His hand and hook instantly came to rest on her hips. "See that?" She had her shirt lifted with one hand and used the other to gesture to her baby bump. "That's our baby." She glanced up at his face in the mirror, watching a smile spread across his face as he somewhat tentatively covered the bump with his hand.

"Hello, little one," he said to it, his voice going soft the way it always did when he talked to their baby. "It's Daddy." He gently rubbed the bump. A contented sigh fell from Emma's lips as she leaned back against him, letting him support some of her weight.

"Killian?" She asked a few moments later, letting her hand come to rest over his.

"Hmm?" He turned his head to nuzzle her neck.

"Have I ever tell you about the first time I thought about having your babies?" She asked him.

"You have not," he answered.

"It was when I saw you with Ashley's little girl. Alexandra?" Emma laughed a little in memory. "You were so sweet with her. And I bet you'd be even sweeter with a daughter of your own." She gave his hand a little squeeze. "I think you're going to have one."

"You think so?" He asked, with a smile.

"I do," Emma nodded. "I think we're having a girl. Don't ask me why I think that. I just do."

"You know what, Swan? I would love to have a sweet little princess of our own," he said, his voice tender. "Not that I wouldn't love to have a son because I would," he continued in a rush. "But I can't help hoping for a girl."

"If I'm right and it _is_ a girl, she's going to absolutely adore you," Emma said, a smile on her face at the thought.

"And I'll adore her in return," he replied, tenderly.

"Mm-hmm," Emma agreed. "And she'll grow up knowing that men can be great because her daddy is." Her eyes went soft as she watched a slight flush spread across his face. She turned around in his arms. "And supposing this is a girl? You'll show her what kind of man she should be looking for when she's older, should she go looking for one. She'll learn never to settle and to find someone who will love her the way her daddy loves her mommy."

Emma's lips curved into a playful smile. "Who knows? Maybe she'll grow up and find someone exactly like you." She just barely stifled a giggle as the smile slowly faded from his face to be replaced by a look of utter horror as he considered this prospect.

"Over my dead body," he said finally, causing the giggle to break free.

* * *

The second trimester was a beautiful thing, Emma mused to herself a few weeks later. The annoying morning sickness that had plagued her all throughout her first trimester? Gone. Her mood swings have leveled off some. Her quality of sleep had vastly improved, along with her energy levels. And her libido had skyrocketed.

This wasn't exactly something that had happened while she was pregnant with Henry. Well, the sickness had mostly gone away and she had seemed to sleep a little better. But her libido had basically been nonexistent. Though she couldn't say how much of that had been the result of her circumstances at the time since they had undoubtedly played a role.

In any event, things were certainly different this time around. Not being stuck in prison was a huge improvement in and of itself. Being married to a hot pirate certainly didn't hurt.

Emma couldn't get enough of him. She'd known that this might happen, but she hadn't expected it to be so intense. It seemed like if she wasn't actively pouncing on him she was _thinking_ about pouncing on him.

Killian routinely found himself being shoved against various walls and kissed senseless. Or he'd feel her eyes on him and look up to see her looking at him with _that_ look. That look that came with _that_ smirk that told him that she wanted him and wanted him as soon as possible.

He smiled a lot more these days. Though truth be told, she was wearing him out. Sometimes he wasn't sure that he'd survive her second trimester. He found it difficult to be upset over the possibility that he might not, however. There were worse ways for a man to go - he knew that from experience. He couldn't complain. Not really.

Even if he did find himself consuming a little more coffee than usual.

* * *

A few more weeks had passed and Emma was now noticeably pregnant. This was something that made her happy and annoyed in almost equal measures.

Happy because every day that passed brought her and Killian one day closer to meeting their little girl - it turned out that Emma's prediction had been right. They were indeed having a little girl and her name would be Catalina Pearl. She was so anxious for the moment when she would finally get to hold their baby in her arms and knew that Killian was as well. So she found herself happy to watch her belly grow bigger and bigger as their baby grew inside her.

That said, being obviously pregnant meant that people were constantly wanting to touch her stomach. This got very old, very quickly. She found herself either guarding her stomach with her arms as well as she could or using Killian and sometimes Henry as human shields. Every now and then David would find himself in that role.

Her men had become quite adept at knowing just when Emma required their assistance. Knowing when to go stand between her and the would-be belly toucher. Killian would often situate himself so that her baby bump was partly between them, his arm wrapped around her stomach protectively.

It was with some amusement when she noticed that his hook would seem to slowly lift in these moments, as if it warning. Like a snake getting ready to strike. What made it funnier to her was the way that his eyes would narrow in suspicion at any perceived threat, no matter how small it may be. She didn't think that Killian was even aware he was doing it most of the time.

He'd become most protective, to the point of nearly driving her insane sometimes. But by the same token, she loved that his default response was to protect her and their baby from any kind of danger. Even if it was the nonexistent kind. Even if it did make her want to throttle him on occasion.

In any event, Emma had already grown tired of people wanting to touch her stomach. And she still had weeks left of her pregnancy. What made it especially frustrating to her was when she'd tell people that her baby wasn't yet kicking hard enough for anyone else to feel it anyway. Not that that little detail stopped them.

That all said, Emma couldn't wait until Killian could feel their baby move. She'd been able to feel her daughter move for the last few weeks and reveled in it. It made her feel so much closer to her baby. The selfish part of her loved that she was the only one who could feel her. But lately, she'd been dying for the moment when their baby's movements would be strong enough so Killian could feel them too.

The moment had arrived.

* * *

Emma'd been up in what would be their daughter's room, shuffling some things around when she felt her daughter moving around. "Oh!" She cried out in surprise, her hands immediately going to her stomach. Realizing that Killian would most likely be able to feel these movements, she hurried out of the room and to their stairs.

Killian had been indulging in a nap on their couch when he was roused from sleep by her call.

"Killian!"

"Emma?" He quickly got to his feet and rushed over to the staircase, his eyes full of panic. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Killian! Come - oh!" She'd stopped on the second to last step as he was blocking her from being able to come down the rest of the way when she found herself suddenly being lifted up.

"What's the matter?" He asked, setting her down on the main floor. That look of panicked suspicion was in his eyes as he glanced up the stairs.

"Nothing's the matter," she answered, half-amused and half-exasperated.

"You were screaming for me," he said in response, making her roll her eyes.

"I was calling you," she corrected.

"Nothing's wrong?" he asked before she could continue. "You're alright?"

"Of course I'm alright, you lunatic," she assured him. "Give me your hand."

"Lunatic?" He asked, ignoring her request and seeming insulted. Possibly a little hurt, as well. "Well, I'm sorry, Swan, but when you -" Whatever he'd been about to say got cut off when she grabbed his hand and pressed it to her stomach. Right where their daughter was, thankfully, still kicking. She'd briefly worried that Catalina would stop before Killian could feel it. "What are you -"

Emma found herself holding her breath as she watched the expression on his face change. He looked down at her stomach, his eyes growing wide. "What the devil was that?"

"That," she beamed at him, "was your daughter saying hello."

"Bloody hell." The look of wonder that had filled his face was by far one of the best things that Emma had ever seen. "Bloody hell!" he repeated, his face breaking into a grin. He looked back up at her with shining eyes.

"I know," she nodded, her own eyes filling with tears. "It's pretty amazing, isn't it?"

"Aye, it is." Killian turned his attention back to his wife's stomach, unable to wipe the smile off his face. "Hello, my sweet Catalina. Oh!" he exclaimed, his eyebrows lifting when he felt a hard kick. "You're already a tough little lass, aren't you, love? You're going to be so strong and beautiful and amazing. You're going to be just like Mommy, yes you will." He sank down to his knees, pressing his lips to the spot where his daughter was still kicking. He smirked when he felt yet another kick in response. "Kicking your father in the face," he shook his head, playfully wagging his finger at Emma's stomach. "That's bad form, love." Killian's voice went soft. "But that's alright, my girl. I still love you. Daddy loves you very, very much."

It took all of Emma's strength not to melt into a puddle over Killian's reaction. It was everything she'd hoped it would be.


	12. 9 Months (2)

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

 **A/N: Part 2 picks up right when Emma figures out that she's going into labor. This one starts off a little angsty. I was thinking about how going into labor could trigger memories of the last time Emma was in labor and went with it. It doesn't stay that way the whole time. Meanwhile this two shot gave me some fits. There's some scenes that ended up getting cut or redone, but I'm thinking of posting some of them. I'm also thinking about maybe highlighting some of the big moments from Emma's pregnancy with Clara at some point. There's some more angst and drama coming, so those would help keep things more balanced. In the meantime, thanks for reading!**

 **Rating: K+**

* * *

This was not how this was supposed to happen, Emma thought dimly as she clutched her bathroom sink in pain. She'd woken up in a bad mood and was feeling awful. It was August and she was sick of being pregnant. Beyond sick of it. Her due date was a week away, but she knew that that was no guarantee that her daughter would actually be born on that day. Odds were that she wouldn't be. Most babies weren't born on their due dates, after all. The thought that it might be weeks until she gave birth made her want to cry.

She was over it. Over being pregnant and ready to finally hold her baby in her arms. She felt gross and was so tired of being so uncomfortable all the time. And she was tired of the constant hovering. Tired of everyone treating her like she was fragile and incapable of taking care of herself. She was pregnant; that didn't make her weak. Quite the opposite, she thought.

Emma knew they meant well. She knew that they worried about her because they loved her and the baby. But they were driving her crazy. She'd been snippy over the past few days because of it. So much so that Henry had decided to take refuge over at Regina's.

Leaving her with Killian.

Oh Killian. Her sweet, doting husband was driving her up the wall. It seemed like everything he did annoyed her lately. He'd been so overprotective and there were days when she found it endearing. And then there were days she found it so incredibly irritating.

Today she had reached her breaking point. She'd woken up already in a snit and when he'd rushed to help her out of bed, she'd practically bitten his head off. She'd deliberately picked a fight with him, hoping that she could get him angry enough to leave her alone for a few minutes.

It hadn't worked.

Killian had been so patient and understanding with her and she'd wanted to punch him for it. It was so aggravating trying to argue with someone who didn't want to fight back. She'd ended up yelling at him to leave so she could have some peace, for crying out loud.

And he'd left, mumbling something about heading to the Station. David had been filling in more as Emma had needed to cut back her hours. He was there now, but Killian said that he'd go relieve her father of his duties and that he'd be back later. She'd have a whole day of peace, if that's what she desired. Before he'd left, he'd told her that he loved her and she hadn't returned the sentiment.

Instead, she'd asked him if he would just leave already. So he had, the look on his face making her think of a wounded puppy. She'd ignored the pang of guilt that had followed and tried to enjoy finally having a moment to herself.

Only to end up bursting into tears a few minutes later when she hadn't been able to open a bottle of water. Of all the stupid things to send her over the edge. The sheer ridiculousness of that fact had only made her cry harder. At that moment she felt every bit as helpless as she'd been telling her loved ones she wasn't.

Right then only thing she wanted was to curl up in her husband's loving arms. Except she couldn't do that because she'd kicked him out. She'd pulled herself together, though she continued to feel worse as the morning progressed. It was when she'd waddled back upstairs and into her and Killian's master bathroom, suddenly doubling over in pain that she realized exactly why she was feeling so lousy.

She was in labor.

She should've known. She'd been having what had felt like period cramps off and on throughout the morning, but had waved them off as Braxton Hicks contractions. She'd had those with Henry and these had felt the same. They'd been mildly annoying, but tolerable. The pain she was having now? This was something else entirely. That and they were happening at regular intervals now.

She was in labor.

Ironically, as tired as she was of being pregnant, it was hard for her to be happy about finally being in labor. Because it hurt for one thing. For another, she was alone. Again. She was overcome by a flood of memories of the last time she'd been in labor. She remembered crying out for a prison guard and being taken to the hospital. Remembered being handcuffed to the hospital bed, alone and terrified. Left holding the hand of a total stranger when it was time to push.

Tears filled her eyes as the next contraction hit, but they were less from the pain and more from those memories that were so unexpectedly vivid that she couldn't stand it.

She was in labor and alone again. This was exactly what she hadn't wanted to happen. What's worse was that it was her own fault.

Emma gritted her teeth as she left the bathroom. She could do this. She'd survived all kinds of things, labor being among them. She might be alone at the moment, but she did have a lot of people who loved her. She did. She wouldn't be alone forever. She knew that. Her circumstances had vastly changed from the last time and her life was good now.

She was loved and wanted now. Killian hadn't abandoned her and wouldn't. He would be back. Hopefully in time to see his daughter being born. She had her parents in her life now; she wasn't the lonely orphan she'd been the last time. She'd even gotten her son back. She was a grown women now; not a terrified teenager. That was a big difference in and of herself. She took a calming breath.

She could do this.

She just had to get downstairs.

She'd left her cell phone on the kitchen table and would call Killian once she got to it. If he didn't answer, well, she'd just have to call someone else. Worse came to worse, she'd call for an ambulance to take her to the hospital where she would then deliver her baby. Without her husband or anyone else she loved by her side if she had to. That wasn't what she wanted; she was still hoping she'd be able to get in touch with Killian. But she'd do what she had to do.

Everything would be fine. The bag she'd packed the week before was waiting by the front door, she knew. Killian had put it there.

Killian. He'd done everything he could to get them prepared for the arrival of their baby. Had looked after her and put up with all her mood swings. Had even resisted fighting back this morning. And she'd kicked him out.

She couldn't do this.

Not on her own. Not without her husband by her side. She didn't want to be left holding another stranger's hand. Not again. She knew that she needed to get it together. Needed to suck it up, get downstairs and call for help. But right now all she wanted to do was cry.

* * *

"Emma?" She thought she was hearing things at first. "Emma, are you up here?"

"Killian?" she called, hopefully.

It wasn't Killian who came into her bedroom, however. It was David, who immediately rushed to her side when he saw her. She must have looked as awful as she felt. "Emma!"

"Dad!" Emma didn't think she had ever been so relieved to see her father in her life. She wasn't alone anymore. Her father was here and he'd take care of her, she knew he would. "The baby's coming." She cried out, doubling over as another contraction hit.

"It's okay," he said, calmly. "I've got you." He wrapped an arm firmly around her shoulders and she slid hers around his waist, holding onto him for dear life. "I've got you, Emma," he repeated.

"Dad," she managed as they made their way to the stairs. "I'm so happy you're here." She reached for the banister with her free hand as they began carefully heading downstairs. "But what are you doing here?"

"Killian," he told her. "He wanted me to come check on you. He didn't think you'd want to see him."

"Yeah," she grimaced. "I kind of kicked him out of the house."

"He mentioned that," David nodded.

"I was awful," she admitted, closing her eyes against the pain. "I made him leave. And then I realized I was in labor and it took me right back."

"Back where?" he asked.

"The prison," she answered, her chin quivering. "Being alone and scared and..." They had reached the bottom of the staircase.

"Hey," David said, lifting his hand to her face to make her look at him. "It's okay. You're not alone. I'm here, okay? I'm going to get you to the hospital and we'll call Killian. Everything is going to be fine."

"Will you stay with me until he comes?" she asked. She must have sounded so pitiful to him, but at the moment she didn't care.

"Of course," he answered, keeping his eyes locked on hers. "I'm here for you, Emma. I'm not going to leave you alone."

"Thanks, Dad."

She was so grateful that David was with her. It was silly, she knew. She was a grown woman, in labor for the second time and yet at this moment she felt more like a scared child. No matter what she'd just told herself. She still desperately wanted Killian with her. She needed him and knew she wouldn't feel right until he was by her side. But if she had to pick anyone else to take his place, it was her father. He would give her the strength she needed to do this. Plus she knew that he meant it when he said he wouldn't leave her alone.

She was right.

* * *

David had rushed Emma to the hospital and called Killian while Emma had been taken to a room. He also called Henry and Snow to let them know what was going on; they would be coming to the hospital with Regina. David had then planted himself by Emma's bedside, stepping out only when Dr. Whale came in to examine her. She'd somehow managed to resist the urge to slap the doctor when he confirmed that she was definitely in labor. As if she hadn't already figured that out. She'd then groaned when he'd told her that it might take hours. Although the longer it took, the more likely it was that Killian would make it in time. David came back in the moment the doctor had left. And he'd stayed by her side until a frantic Killian came barreling in.

"Swan?!"

"Killian." His name came out on a sigh of relief as she flung out her hand to him. "You made it! Thank God you made it."

"I got here as fast as I could," he told her, leaning down to kiss first her hand and then her forehead.

"Killian." She squeezed his hand, hard. "I'm so sorry! I was so awful to you and I-"

"Ssh," he said softly. "Don't worry about that, my love. It's okay."

"Listen, I might call you all kinds of horrible names in there. And I might threaten you and I might say I want you to leave, but I won't mean it. Please don't leave me." She looked so panicked at the thought that it made his heart ache.

"I assure you that I'm not going anywhere. I'll be with you the entire time. I promise," he vowed.

* * *

Catalina Pearl had been born as the sun was going down. Killian had kept his promise and remained by Emma's side the entire time. She'd kept a death grip on his hand, drawing strength from the connection. The best part? By the end of it, she had the enormous pleasure of getting to hold a beautiful and, more importantly, healthy baby in her arms. A baby that she got to keep.

Holding Catalina in her arms for the first time had been more healing than Emma had ever imagined it would be. It was like having to give Henry up as a baby had left a festering wound on her heart. A wound that had faded some over time, but that had never gone away completely. Emma hadn't realized how much it still hurt until she was holding her little girl. The feel of her precious Catalina in her arms was like a soothing balm on that wound left so long ago.

This time the tears that she cried were happy ones. They had come in waves. The first wave being when Catalina was finally placed in her arms. The second came as she watched Killian fall in love with their daughter. Watching him hold Catalina for the first time had been better than she'd ever imagined it being. Killian showered their daughter with words of love, devotion and protection. Her husband had basically been turned into a total ball of mush, cooing over his little princess like the love struck fool he'd been turned into.

The next wave of tears came a little while later when she'd sent Killian to go get Henry, who had arrived at the hospital with Mary Margaret and Regina sometime while Emma had been giving birth.

* * *

Killian found Henry in the waiting room with his grandparents, Neal and Regina. Mary Margaret was the first to spot him and she jumped to her feet and hurried over to meet him. "Killian! Is she here? Is Catalina here?"

"Aye, she is," Killian confirmed, a bright smile on his face.

"What's she like? Is she perfect? She's perfect isn't she?" David couldn't help laughing at his wife's enthusiasm.

"Let him get a word in, Snow," he teased her.

"I'm the grandma, I get to be excited," she reminded him.

"She is." Now Killian laughed a little. "I mean, yes, you're the grandma and yes, Catalina is perfect. She's 6 pounds and 11 ounces of pure perfection. Wait until you see her. She's the most beautiful, most precious baby in all the realms."

"And Emma? How's she doing?" Mary Margaret pushed.

"She's doing great," Killian assured her. "Both my girls are doing great." They all watched as a look of realization filled his face. "Bloody hell! I have two girls now. Officially, I mean."

"Oh Killian." Mary Margaret threw her arms around her son-in-law. "I'm so happy for you both!"

"So how's it feel?" David asked, a grin on his face. "Being the father of a newborn?"

"Wonderful! It feels wonderful. I...I'm the father of a newborn. Bloody hell." This time the words took on a different tone, one that bordered on panic.

"Easy there, Guyliner," Regina spoke up, though she was smiling. She grabbed his elbow and more or less pushed him into a seat.

"You okay?" Henry asked, trying not to be amused and failing. Killian was looking somewhat ill by this point.

"Oh aye. I'm perfectly alright. I'm just the father of a newborn. It's fine." Though now Killian looked at Mary Margaret. "It's fine, right? I mean, I have no bloody idea how to take care of an infant, but it's perfectly fine."

"If it makes you feel any better, all parents go through this," Mary Margaret said calmly. "You're going to be a wonderful father. I just know it."

"I hope so," Killian said.

"You will be," Regina offered, laughing at the look Killian of disbelief that Killian shot her. "Yes, I just gave you a compliment. I can't believe it either." The hostility that had existed between Killian and Regina had faded over the years; these days they seemed more like siblings. Oh, they still bickered from time to time, but it was usually done in jest. "You'll be a good father, Killian. Stop doubting yourself."

"Two compliments in so short a time," Killian shook his head. "Regina, I'm touched."

"Don't get used to it," she smirked.

"Alright," Killian chuckled, the panic that had been in his expression fading some. "I know that you all want to meet our new little princess, but I'm sure you'll understand if I take Henry back first."

"You...you want me to meet her first?" Henry clearly hadn't expected that. "Shouldn't it be Grandma and Grandpa first?"

"With all due respect to your grandparents, no," Killian said, matter-of-factly. "It should be you."

"Killian's right." Mary Margaret smiled at her grandson. "Go meet your little sister."

* * *

Henry seemed a little nervous as he followed Killian into the room. Emma was holding Catalina again and greeted Henry with a big smile, asking if he wanted to come meet his baby sister. He approached the bed carefully, a small paper gift bag in his hands. The smile that had appeared on his face as he laid eyes on his new baby sister for the first time warmed Emma's heart.

"I, uh, brought her a present," Henry told her, lifting up the paper bag. "I was going to get her a little stuffed sea creature. Like a whale or a fish or something, but then I saw this and well." Emma smiled as Henry scratched at his ear in a subconscious imitation of his stepfather.

Henry looked back and forth between Emma and Killian, who was by then standing on the opposite side of the bed from him. He then offered the bag to Killian. "I saw this and I thought it was cute. I don't know." Killian balanced the bag on the handrail of the bed, using his prosthetic to keep it steady as he reached in and pulled out a small and adorable stuffed cat out of the bag. "I thought that since her name is Catalina, why not get her a cat? I don't know. Maybe it's stupid." Henry shrugged and Emma couldn't help finding his awkwardness endearing.

"It's perfect," Killian assured him.

"It is," Emma nodded, smiling at Henry. "Do you want to hold her?"

"Can I?" He asked, looking cautiously eager.

"You're her big brother aren't you?" Emma teased. "Here. Make sure you support her head. Yeah, just like that," she encouraged him as he very carefully took Catalina from her arms.

"Hey Catalina." Henry took care to keep his voice soft so as not to startle her. "I'm Henry and I'm your big brother." He smiled down as his baby sister and Emma felt a lump form in her throat as she watched them. "I got you a kitty cat," he told his sister, moving to sit down on one of the chairs. He made sure she was secure in his arm before carefully bringing his other hand around to adjust the receiving blanket around her. "Hey, maybe that's what I'll call you! What do you think, Kitty Cat?" She caught one of his fingers in her tiny fist, making him laugh. "Does that mean you like it?"

"I think it does, lad," Killian spoke up, his eyes shining. Emma looked from Henry and Catalina and then up at Killian, feeling like her heart might actually explode from happiness.

"Happy, my love?" He smiled down at her and Emma was overcome by a rush of love for him. It was as if he had read her mind.

"Very," she replied, a bright smile on her face. "I'm very happy. Are you happy, Captain?"

"Aye." He leaned down to brush his lips against hers. "Very."


	13. Magic revealed

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

 **A/N: Jumping back into the time period where most of the oneshots have taken place. In which Henry makes a stupid babysitting mistake and one of the girls officially gets their magical powers. And by officially, I mean in a way where everyone knows about it. It was only a matter of time before it happened. I was going to break this up into two parts, but decided to put it together for one long piece instead. I was thinking about how to approach the girls getting magic and thought that their magic might work a little differently from Emma's in some ways. I thought that the reveal should be somewhat big and imagined how scary magic could be to a child. Even one who has been hoping for magical powers. There will be a point where you'll get to see Emma showing her how magic can be fun, but I wanted this one to be a bit more serious because it's a big deal. Or at least I think it should be.**

 **Rating: K+**

* * *

"What's going on here?" Emma asked, alarmed.

Henry took a deep breath as he looked up at his mom and Killian. They were staring at the scene before them with looks of concern on their faces. And no wonder.

How was he supposed to explain this?

"Oh hey guys! Well. You left me in charge of my sisters and one of them almost got run over by a car and the other? Yeah, turns out she has magic and is completely traumatized because of it! But you know, other than that, everything is fine. So, how was your weekend?"

Maybe not.

He could only imagine the reaction _that_ would have gotten.

"Henry?" This time it was Killian who spoke. "What's happened?"

"Well..." Henry said slowly, trying to buy himself some time as he thought about how best to respond.

Killian's question was a good one, though. What exactly had just happened?

The weekend had started out pleasantly enough. Emma and Killian had come to the conclusion that they needed to spend a little time alone and had decided to spend the weekend out on the Jolly Roger. They'd left Henry in charge of Catalina and Clara.

There were a lot of older siblings who would complain about having to look after their younger siblings, but Henry wasn't one of them. He knew that his mom and stepdad deserved a break, especially since they took so few of them. Besides, he loved his sisters and was absurdly touched that his mom and Killian had decided to trust them to his care.

He'd done a pretty good job, he thought. At least until tragedy had almost struck. But up until that point, he'd done well. Emma and Killian had headed out to the Jolly Roger late Friday afternoon and their grandparents had come to pick them all up to have dinner at Granny's.

After that, all Henry had had to do was get the girls ready for bed. He'd taken care to leave his bedroom door cracked open when he went to sleep, just in case Clara had one of her nightmares. He knew he'd still hear her scream even if his door was shut, but he didn't want to take the off chance that he wouldn't.

As it turned out, he didn't have to worry about it because Clara had slept all through the night. They'd spent Saturday morning eating cereal and watching cartoons in their pajamas. When lunch rolled around, he'd gone with a classic: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches along with apple slices and milk.

He'd taken them to the park to play after lunch and they'd spent a couple of hours there before coming home for dinner. Macaroni and cheese, per their request. They'd then played _Candy Land_ while a movie played in the background and then it'd been time for bed.

Once again, Henry kept his door open and once again, it proved to be unnecessary. Much to his relief. He'd been worried that he wouldn't be enough to calm Clara down if she had a nightmare, but fate had apparently smiled on him.

And Clara for that matter. Every night that passed without a nightmare was a blessing. She'd gotten plenty of sleep and had been in good spirits pretty much all weekend. Catalina, too, had been her usual sunny self.

Henry had felt like ending out his, frankly, stellar weekend as a caregiver with a bang. He'd gone as far to make his sisters French toast. With powered sugar on top, thank you very much. And orange juice. Killian would be pleased to know that no scurvy was happening on Henry's watch. No sir.

Okay, so maybe Henry had been feeling ridiculously cocky up until this point. But hey, up until this weekend he'd only ever watched them by himself for a couple of hours at a time. It'd gone better than he thought it might. He'd kept both of his sisters safe and happy. Even after sad Clara had initially been while she was watching her parents drive away. Henry did have to give Catalina, their grandparents and Neal some of the credit for cheering her up, but still. Henry had been very proud of himself.

Of course, it's often said that pride goeth before a fall.

After breakfast, he'd sat down on the floor with them while they played and entertained them by making up stories. He'd successfully served them lunch and later on had suggested they go outside for a little while. Emma and Killian were due home sometime before dinner. Henry had been convinced that he would end his time as babysitter on a high note.

And then it happened. One of his sisters had almost gotten seriously hurt. Or worse.

* * *

They were out in the front yard playing catch when Catalina threw the ball too hard and sent it flying over the fence and into the street.

"I'll get it!" Clara offered, heading to the gate.

"Be careful," Henry cautioned. "Look both ways, okay?" He took a moment to scan the street himself. No cars in sight. He watched Clara stop on the edge of the sidewalk and carefully look both ways before darting out into the road. She ended up kicking the ball by accident and had to chase it over to the other side where it had stopped by the curb. She picked it up and started to head back.

And tripped. Over what, Henry couldn't see. But that hardly mattered. No, what did matter was the car that was driving down the street way too quickly. It had come out of nowhere.

"Clara!" Henry yelled and he dimly heard Catalina scream out their sister's name a moment later as he ran towards the street. Only to skid to a stop in shock.

Clara had just been encased in a thick cloud of shimmering gold smoke. And when it cleared, Henry was stunned to see that she had disappeared. The car continued its way down the road, the driver either not caring that they'd almost run over a child or not even realizing it.

"Clara? Clara!" Henry shouted. He spun around as he heard a cry of pain coming from behind him on their front lawn. Clara.

She was lying on her side on the grass as he ran to her. "Clara? Are you okay?!" She was slowly moving into a seated position, so she couldn't have been too badly hurt. At least that's what he hoped.

"It hurts," she whimpered, shaking, as he crouched down by her side.

"What hurts?" he asked, panicked.

"My arm," she cried. "And my hands."

"Let me see," he ordered, a little more sharply than he'd meant to. A hiss of sympathy and concern escaped from his lips as he took in the painful looking scratch on her left arm. After a hurried look down at where she'd been lying, he deduced that she had crashed into a rock that was sticking out of the grass. "Oh Clara. It's okay, you'll be okay."

It hurts!" she repeated, this time on a wail.

"I know it does, but you'll be okay," he promised in what he hoped was a soothing tone. He winced when he looked at the palms of her hands which were completely covered in scrapes. "Okay. We'll get you cleaned up and you'll be as good as new, okay?" He put his arm around her shoulders. "You're okay."

She leaned into him, still crying, and he murmured more words of comfort as he looked between where they were sitting and the road. How had she gotten from the middle of the road to the lawn like that?

There was really only one explanation.

Magic.

Seemingly convinced that she wasn't about to perish from her wounds, which looked worse than they were, Clara slowly began to calm down.

"Clara? Can you tell me what happened?" He asked the question carefully.

"I went to get the ball," she sniffled. "And then I f-fell and then the car was coming and..."

"And what?" Henry pressed. She gave him a bewildered shrug in response.

"There was a cloud of smoke and...and then I was over here," she finished.

"Clara? Did..." Henry had to take a moment to collect himself. "Did you do it? Did you make that cloud appear?"

"No?" She asked, confused. The girls did know about magic; had seen Emma using it, in fact. But knowing about it and wielding it were two different things.

He knew that he certainly hadn't done it and if Clara hadn't either, than that meant...

"H-Henry?" It was Catalina who had spoken, her voice sounding strained. Henry looked up at his other sister. Her green eyes were wide with fear and what looked like guilt. She was unnaturally pale and her hands were trembling. "I...I think." She took a shaky breath. "I did it."

"Ah." Okay, so that maybe wasn't the best response Henry could come up with, but that's what had come out. After all, what exactly do you say to your little sister who has just displayed a rather impressive show of magic? Especially for a six year old. "Tell me what happened."

"I saw the car coming towards Clara and..and..." Catalina lifted her still trembling hands in front of her in the direction of the street. "My hands got all t-tingly and hot and I...I just..." She trailed off, swinging her hands toward the lawn to demonstrate.

"You have magic," Henry said quietly. Catalina looked panicked in a way that Henry had never seen her look before. It unnerved him.

Her eyes filled up with tears as she shook her head at Henry. "I just wanted to save Clara. I didn't mean..."

"You did," he said quickly. "You...you were thinking about saving Clara and you did."

"But I hurt her!" Catalina cried. "I didn't see the rock, but I didn't...I didn't mean to..." Whatever words she'd been about to say died in her throat as she completely dissolved into tears. Clara had mostly calmed down, but seeing her big sister so upset had her lip quivering again. "I'm so sorry, Clara!"

"It's okay, Lina," Clara said, softly. "Don't cry."

"You saved her," Henry said firmly. "If you hadn't done that..." He didn't bother finishing the thought. He didn't want to say what could've happened out loud. "Hey. Look at me, Kitty Cat." The silly nickname he'd given her when she was born had stuck. "I know you're scared. Magic is...well it can be scary. But it's okay."

"I hurt Clara," Catalina sniffled.

"By accident! I know you didn't mean to do it. Clara knows you didn't mean to do it, too, don't you Clara?" Henry asked. Clara nodded anxiously.

"Don't cry, Lina," Clara pleaded.

"It's okay," Henry repeated, reaching out a hand to Catalina who immediately backed away.

"No it's not." Catalina shook her head.

"Yes, it is. You have magic. Just like Mommy," he reminded her. "She'll teach you how to con-"

"I don't want it!" Catalina cut him off. "I don't want magic! Not if it hurts people."

"You just have to learn how to control it," Henry promised. "Mommy will help you."

"No." She slowly began backing away.

"Catalina," Henry tried.

"No!" At that she turned on her heels and ran into the house.

"Catalina!" He called after her.

That was, of course, when Emma and Killian had showed up. On one hand, Henry was enormously relieved. He evidently wasn't equipped to handle this properly.

On the other hand, he had no idea how they'd take it. Everyone had wondered if either of the girls would have magic, but neither of them had ever shown any signs of having it. At least not that any of them had ever witnessed. Until today.

So now what?

* * *

"It was my fault," Henry said finally. "We were out here throwing a ball around and it went into the street. Clara ran out to get it. She was careful. She looked both ways and so did I. The street was clear. But then she fell and that's when she hurt her hands. The car came out of nowhere."

"The car?" Emma asked, panic creeping into her voice.

"Clara, darling, are you alright?" Killian asked, worried, as he knelt down on her other side. She lifted her arms for him to inspect.

"It h-hurts," she whimpered softly. If Catalina crying had upset her, seeing her parents so concerned made it worse. "But H-Henry said it was gonna be okay."

"And so it shall be," Killian assured her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she shifted her weight from Henry to lean against him. "Mommy will fix you up and you'll be perfectly alright. Don't cry, love. It'll be okay."

"Daddy's right," Emma promised. Henry had scooted out of the way so she could take his place by Clara's side while Killian talked. "I'll make it all better. Hold still for me, okay, baby?"

At Clara's nod, Emma gently placed her hands right above Clara's arms. A soft light flowed out of Emma's hands as she summoned her magic. She ran her hands down Clara's arms and to her palms, leaving perfectly healed skin in her wake. "There." Emma smiled at her daughter before leaning in to kiss her forehead. "All better."

"Thank you, Mommy." Clara gave her a small smile in return.

"Now that we've gotten Clara patched up," Emma said, pressing her hand to her daughter's cheek briefly before turning her attention to Henry. "Let's talk about that car."

"It came out of nowhere," Henry repeated. "I ran out to try and grab her, but then, well...something happened."

"Care to elaborate on that something?" Killian pressed.

"Well, Mom, it looks like Catalina really is your mini-me," Henry told her. A pause followed that statement and Henry could practically see the wheels rolling in both Emma and Killian's heads.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Killian asked, slowly.

"Lina has magic," Clara supplied.

"Kid?" Emma's eyes were wide.

"Catalina has magic," Henry nodded.

"Ah." Henry couldn't stop the small chuckle from coming out of his mouth at Emma's response.

"That's what I said," he admitted.

"Huh. So, Catalina has magic. Okay. This is okay, right?" Emma asked and none of them were sure which one of them she was asking.

It was Killian who responded. "We knew this was a possibility," he reminded his wife, calmly. "In answer to your question? Yes. This is okay because you'll teach her how to use it. Our Catalina's a smart lass and she'll be a good student. The two of you can handle this. I know you can." He turned his focus back to Henry. "So tell me, lad, what did she do, exactly?"

"Clara was in the street and the car was coming and we, me and Catalina, we both screamed her name. That's when a cloud of smoke suddenly surrounded Clara and the next thing I knew, she was over here," Henry explained.

"I see," Killian nodded, glancing back at Emma. "And where is our new magic wielder now?"

"She's really freaked," Henry said, bluntly. "She didn't know what she was doing and unfortunately Clara hit a rock when she landed in the front yard. That's how her arm got scratched. Catalina panicked and she...well..."

"Well, what?" Emma asked, quietly. She was no doubt reliving her early days of getting used to magic.

"She was scared and freaking out and she said she didn't want magic. Not if it hurt people," Henry said, his voice solemn as he remembered how panicked his sister had been. "Then she ran into the house and that's when you showed up."

"Oh Catalina," Emma sighed, looking towards the house.

"Go. You're the one she needs to talk to right now. You're the only one who can completely understand what she's going through," Killian said gently. "You'll tell her what it was like for you and then you'll help her accept who she is. She couldn't ask for a better teacher."

Emma smiled at him as she nodded. "Okay." She nodded again, this time to herself, before standing. She'd known this day was probably coming, but had hoped she'd have more time. Catalina was still so young and to have this kind of power at her age, well, Emma wasn't sure how she'd handle it. But she would do her best to help her daughter.

Killian, Henry and Clara all watched as she headed into the house. "So," Henry said after a moment. He gave Killian a sheepish smile. "How was your weekend?" Killian let out a short laugh, much to Henry's relief.

"It was wonderful," he answered. "It was nice to spend some time alone, but it's good to be home. Especially in light of what's happened."

"Yeah, about that." Henry cleared his throat. "I owe you an apology. You trusted me to look after my sisters for the weekend and something awful almost happened. I shouldn't have let Clara go into the street by herself at all. That was stupid of me. Really stupid. This was my fault."

Killian studied his stepson for a few moments. The guilt was written all over the young man's face. "It's okay," he said finally, somewhat amused at the expression of disbelief that came over Henry's face.

"It is?" Henry sounded doubtful.

"Aye. It was an accident," Killian said simply. "I know that you would never intentionally put either of your sisters in harms way. The important thing is that Clara's alright and Catalina will be."

"I appreciate that," Henry said, gratefully. "But still. I'm sorry." Killian waved it off.

"If it'll help ease your guilt, than I accept your apology," Killian replied. "Now I think the only thing we need to worry about right now is what shall we do for dinner."

"I'll go see what we have," Henry offered as both he and Killian got to their feet. At Killian's nod, Henry headed into the house.

Killian then went into an elaborate bow that ended with him offering his hand to Clara with a flourish that made her giggle. "Your hand, m'lady?" She put her hand in his and let him pull her to her feet.

"Thank you, Daddy." She smiled up at him as he leaned further down to place a kiss on her hand.

"Shall we?" He asked, gesturing to the house with his hook. She nodded and they started towards the house.

"Daddy?"

"Hmm?"

"I had fun with Henry and Catalina this weekend. Until I fell." She screwed up her face for a moment as she remembered how much it had hurt. "The rest of the weekend was fun. But you know what?"

"What's that, love?"

"I missed you," she told him. "I'm so happy you're home!"

"Aw, come up here." Killian leaned down to pick her up. "I missed you too, little one." He kissed her forehead. "Very much. Now how about we go see what Henry has planned for dinner?"

* * *

A worried frown appeared on Emma's face as she headed upstairs towards Catalina's room, noting the flashes of light that were coming from that direction. She took a deep breath to steady herself as she walked down the hallway to her eldest daughter's bedroom. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the sight of her daughter.

Catalina sat cross-legged in the middle of her bed clutching her two beloved stuffed puppies, Cocoa and Cinnamon, in her arms. Her face was twisted in anguish and her eyes were full of panic as tears streamed down her face. Every light in her bedroom was flickering uncontrollably. Even the lights in Clara's room and the bathroom the sisters shared were flickering.

Emma recognized a magical meltdown when she saw one. She'd had enough of them to know. She stayed in the doorway, understanding all too well that as much as she wanted to go comfort her daughter, she needed to talk Catalina down first. The last thing she wanted was to make it worse.

"Catalina? It's Mommy," she said softly, not wanting to startle her. Her daughter looked at her with wild eyes.

"Mommy!" Catalina whimpered. She sounded more scared than Emma had ever heard her and it made her heart ache. "I can't make it stop!"

 _She really is my mini me,_ Emma thought, sadly. "It'll be okay, honey," she said. "I know this is scary, but it'll be okay."

"I want it to stop!" Catalina cried.

"I know." Emma had to work to keep her voice calm. The last thing Catalina needed was to see how worried she was. "You're having a magical meltdown. It won't stop until you calm down."

"I don't want magic." Catalina sniffled, her eyes darting over to one of her bedside tables as a particularly bright flash shot out of the lamp on it. "I hurt Clara! I d-didn't mean to!"

"I know," Emma said quickly. "Henry told me and Daddy what happened. You got scared. That's okay."

"But I hurt her." The whimper was back in her voice.

"Have I ever told you that I accidentally hurt Henry with my magic once?" The look of astonishment on Catalina's face told Emma that she hadn't. "I did. Actually, before I hurt him, I accidentally hurt Grandpa."

"You hurt Grandpa?" Catalina was incredulous.

"I lost control of my magic," Emma told her. "And I panicked. I know exactly how you feel. It's scary when you can't control your powers, but it'll be okay. You'll be okay."

"I j-just want it to stop," Catalina cried. "Make it stop!"  
The extra burst of emotion caused one of the lightbulbs in the room to explode, making Catalina scream.

"Look at me," Emma ordered, gently. "Come on, honey, look at me." Emma forced a smile onto her face as Catalina's tear-filled eyes met her own. It took everything in her power not to rush over and pull her daughter into her arms. But that wouldn't help her. Not yet. "That's it. Keep your eyes on me."

"I'm scared," Catalina sniffled.

"I know, kid. I know. Everything that you're feeling right now? The fear, the panic, the shame - I felt it all too. You know how I got over it?" Catalina shook her head. "I was lucky to people who loved and supported me. Just like you do. But it's hard for people without magic to understand. Lucky for me, I had Elsa. I've told you about her before, remember?"

"Y-yes," Catalina said, with a jerky nod.

"Do you remember me telling you that Elsa has ice powers? She made a snow monster once, she got so scared. She even trapped us in an ice castle once. Every magic user knows how you're feeling now, honey," Emma told her. "But she learned how to control her powers and helped me learn how to control mine. You know what she taught me?"

"W-what?"

"That I would never be able to control my powers until I accepted them. Until I accepted myself." Emma smiled at her again. "I know that right now you probably feel like you don't know who you are anymore. That's how I felt. Like I was a completely different person and I didn't know if I wanted to be that person."

"But you know what? I was the same person that I'd always been. And so are you. The magic is a part of you. It always has been, you just didn't know it," Emma's voice was soft as she continued. "Now you do and yes, it's scary and overwhelming, but you can handle this."

"H-how do you know?" Catalina asked, her eyes still full of panic.

"Because I know you. You are still my brave and confident girl. You don't have to be afraid of your powers." A pause as she considered the current situation. "You just have to learn how to use them and I'll show you. I'll teach you everything I know. But first, you need to embrace this part of yourself. You can do it. I believe in you, baby."

"I...I can?" The question was asked hesitantly.

"Yes," Emma answered with a nod. "You just have to love yourself. And let me tell you, there are _so_ many things to love about you. Your magic is just another one of them. Believe that."

Catalina drew a shaky breath as she thought about it, keeping her eyes locked on her mother's. "You can do this, Catalina," Emma encouraged her. Another breath and then the lights slowly began to flicker more slowly. "That's my girl," she said, proudly. "You're still you."

"I...I'm still me," Catalina managed. "I can l-learn how to control my magic."

"You will. I promise," Emma assured her as she took a couple of cautious steps towards her and gave her an encouraging smile, even as she saw a bit of wariness appear in her daughter's eyes. She held out her hand to Catalina who looked at it, not moving. "Take my hand. It's okay."

"O-okay," Catalina agreed, though Emma could tell she wasn't completely convinced that nothing bad would happen. But she lifted her hand and after another moment of hesitation, carefully put her hand in Emma's.

A moment later the flickering stopped. "It...it stopped," Catalina said, sounding somewhat amazed.

"It stopped," Emma repeated, giving her hand a little squeeze. "I knew you could do it." There were still tears rolling down Catalina's cheeks so Emma sat down beside her, letting go of her hand to extend her arm out in invitation.

This time Catalina didn't hesitate. She instantly fell into her mother's loving embrace. "Thank you, Mommy," she said softly, holding onto her tightly.

"All I did was encourage you," Emma said gently. "You were the one who made it stop. Remember that."

"I love you," Catalina told her.

"I love you too, baby," Emma replied, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "And I'm proud of you." She held onto Catalina for a few minutes longer, figuring both of them needed it after that. It'd been hard enough for Emma to go through her first magical meltdown and she'd been an adult; she couldn't imagine having to deal with one as a child. "Very proud."

* * *

Emma looked up when she heard a light knock on Catalina's doorframe to find Killian. "Hey," she said.

"Hey," he answered softly, his eyes landing on their daughter. Catalina didn't seem overly panicked at the moment, but he could tell that she wasn't quite herself. "I've come to tell you that dinner is being prepared by chef Henry." He smiled at Catalina. "Spaghetti and meatballs. Your favorite. I think there might be garlic bread in the works as well."

"Ooh that sound good, doesn't it, honey?" Emma asked their daughter.

"I...I guess," she answered. She was eyeing Killian somewhat warily. Emma guessed it was because she wasn't sure how he'd react to her having magic.

"Everything alright in here?" Killian asked. He slowly moved towards them, his attention on Catalina. "Alright, lass?"

"I have magic," she told him, quietly.

"So I heard," he said with a nod as he carefully sat down on her other side.

"I told her that I'd show her how to control it," Emma put in.

"Then I suspect that she'll have it under control in no time." Killian smiled at his wife before bringing his attention back to Catalina. "You're a smart lass, Catalina. Not to mention a tough one. With Mommy's help, I have no doubt in my mind that you'll figure this whole magic thing out in no time."

"You...you really think so?" Catalina asked, anxiously.

"I know so," he said, gently. "You can do anything you set your mind to, Catalina. Including learning magic. I know that I can't help you as far as that goes. But I can promise you that I'll always be here to support you in whatever way you need." He gently tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Don't be afraid, love."

"But magic's scary," Catalina argued.

"It can be, yes," he agreed. "But it can also be beautiful. It's all in learning how to control it. And you have the best teacher in all the realms. Mommy will show you the right way to use it and then who knows? Maybe you'll use it to help people."

"I'd like that," Catalina admitted, giving him a small smile.

"Aye, that's because you have a good heart. I trust that you'll use your magic to do wonderful things," he said, lovingly. "You're still my Catalina. And I love you from now and for always. Magic and all."

"I love you, Daddy," she said, leaning over to hug him.

"You and Mommy will figure this out," he promised, kissing the top of her head. "In the meantime? We have a nice dinner being prepared for us. Maybe we should go down and see if Henry and Clara need any help?" At this, Catalina's face grew wary again.

"What's wrong, honey?" Emma asked, gently.

"Are they mad at me?" Catalina asked.

"Mad at you?" Emma frowned. "Why would they be mad at you?"

"Because I ran away from Henry when he called me. And I threw Clara into that rock," Catalina answered, wincing as she remembered.

"Your brother and sister love you," Emma reminded her. "I don't think they're mad at you. Just worried."

"Everything will be alright," Killian assured her. "Come, love. Let's go downstairs and you can see for yourself."

He ended up leading the way downstairs with Catalina coming down behind him and Emma after her. At the moment, Clara was kneeling on a chair at the table in front of a tray full of buttered bread while Henry stood beside her. She was holding the container of garlic powder and he had his hand over hers, showing her how to sprinkle it on the slices of bread.

"Just like this, see?" He was saying. "You try it on these pieces," he added, gesturing to some of the slices they hadn't gotten to yet. "Not too much," he cautioned. "Not too hard." He watched her carefully imitate their previous movements.

"Like this?" She asked.

"Just like that," he smiled at her. "Good job," he said when she'd finished, holding his hand out for the container.

"Ah, I see that you've found yourself a sous-chef, Henry my boy," Killian said brightly.

"Clara's been a very good helper," Henry confirmed, making Clara beam. Her eyes brightened as she spotted their sister.

"Lina!" She scrambled off of the chair and headed for her. Catalina, meanwhile, instinctively stepped backwards towards Emma.

"It's okay, honey," Emma said calmly.

"Are you okay?" Clara asked her sister.

"Yeah," Catalina nodded. "I'm...I'm sorry I hurt you."

"It's okay, Lina. Look!" Clara held out her arms for Catalina to see. "Mommy made it all better."

"Aren't you scared that I'll hurt you again?" Catalina asked her.

"No," Clara said, sounding confused. "I'm not scared. You're my big sister!" Catalina gave her a tentative smile while Clara closed the gap between them and flung her arms around her. "I love you, Lina."

"I love you too, Clara," Catalina said, seemed relieved as she hugged her sister back.

"Me next," Henry said, joining them as his sisters pulled apart. He knelt down in front of Catalina and gave her a hug. "You okay, Kitty Cat?"

Catalina took a minute to look at each member of her family, believing in that moment that she was indeed okay. "I think so," she answered, finally.

"Good," Henry smiled at her. "You want to come help us finish making the bread?" She nodded and with that, the three siblings went back into the kitchen. Emma, meanwhile, moved next to Killian and slid her arms around his waist as they watched them.

"So Catalina has magic," Emma said quietly, feeling a rush of nerves at the thought of having to teach her how to use it. But as she watched her three children together, laughing at something Henry said, she smiled. "This should be interesting."

"I suspect it will be," Killian nodded, a smile on his face as well. "Two magic wielders in the house. That should liven things up a bit." His gaze fell on their youngest. "Who knows? Maybe we'll end up with *three* magic wielders in the house."

"Maybe," Emma acknowledged. She grinned up at him. "That'd really make your life interesting, wouldn't it Jones?"

"It would indeed, my love," he chuckled. "It would indeed."


	14. Killian's nightmare

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

 **A/N: Looks like Clara isn't the only member of the Jones family who gets nightmares. The other day, for whatever reason, I found myself thinking about what would give Killian nightmares. The first thing that came to mind? The thought of losing another person he loves. Namely, any member of his family. And so this nightmare was created. There's a couple of things I need to mention. The first is that you'll note that Henry is not in his nightmare. I definitely believe that Killian would hate for anything to happen to Henry, but he didn't seem to fit well in this dream for some reason. That said, I've been getting the urge to write a oneshot about Killian and Henry and am pretty sure I will at some point. The other thing I have to mention is that this chapter comes with a warning. Killian's dream involves him losing one of his daughters. I feel like that would be his biggest fear. Losing Emma would be a very close second. But I wanted this dream to shake him up pretty badly and I'm not sure what would shake him up more.** **I know that this is a sensitive subject for a lot of people and I completely get that. There was a part of this that was really hard to write, even knowing that it's just a nightmare and obviously not real. So know that going in. I threw some daddy/daughter fluff near the end to lighten it up. And then Emma does her part to chase away his nightmare for good. This also features a character from Once that I've never tried to write before and hope I did him some justice. There's also some pure fluff oneshots coming, but in the meantime? It's Killian's turn to have a nightmare.**

 **Rating: T for the implied death of a child and a bit of smut**

* * *

"Where the bloody hell am I?" Killian muttered to himself.

The last thing he remembered, he was in bed with Emma fast asleep beside him with her head on his chest. He remembered absently stroking her hair as he began to nod off. And now he was who knew where and completely alone.

It was dark - so dark that he couldn't make out his hand right in front of his face, let alone see anything else. He frowned as he fumbled his way around, eventually feeling the tips of his fingers brush against what felt like stone. Groping his way along it confirmed that it was a wall. He turned so that his hook pressed against it and reached out experimentally towards the opposite side. Nothing.

He took one step in that direction and then another. This time his fingers again met with stone. A corridor, then. It was a start, though not a great one. Obviously, standing around wasn't going to do him any favors. He needed to determine where he was and to do that, he needed to go exploring. He struck out in the direction he was facing, figuring that this was as good a direction as any and started making his way down the corridor.

The stone was cool against his fingertips as he used it to feel his way down the corridor. There was a distinct earthy smell in the air which made him wonder if he was in some kind of cellar. The stone began to curve and the ground beneath his feet began to slope downwards. He nearly lost his balance at one point, but caught himself before he tumbled to the ground.

The earthy smell got stronger the further down he went. Where the devil was he? He was getting frustrated, but knew he had to stay focused. Surely this corridor had to lead somewhere. The ground leveled out for a time before he ended up banging his foot into something. He'd evidently ended up at the bottom of a staircase.

He went up, relieved to find the darkness starting to dissipate the further he went. By the time he reached the top of the staircase, it was still pretty dim but at least he could make out what was around him. This was a vast improvement.

Not that there was much to see. It was just another hallway and he headed down it. He soon came upon a door and, seeing no reason to do otherwise, went through it. And found himself outside. There was a small patch of grass that led into a forest.

It'd been quiet the entire time he'd been, well, wherever this place was. So quiet that he nearly jumped out of his skin as a bloodcurdling scream suddenly ripped through the night. This was immediately followed by a terrified cry for help that chilled his blood.

He knew that scream; knew it all too well. There was only one person he had ever heard scream like that. His sweet Clara.

"Clara?" Killian looked around, frantically. "Clara?!"

"Daddy!" Her answering shriek made him whirl around wildly. He couldn't see her anywhere. "Daddy, help!"

"Clara?! Where are you?!" Fear was coursing readily through his veins as he took off running into the woods in the direction her scream had come from. A couple of branches smacked him in the face as he ran, but he ignored the pain and kept running. "Clara!"

"Daddy!" If Killian thought his heart had been pounding before, now it seemed to double. For this particular scream had _not_ come from Clara.

It had come from Catalina.

"Daddy! Help us!" she screeched. Bloody hell. Both of his daughters were apparently in danger and he couldn't find them. Just when Killian didn't think things could get any worse, he heard a sickening thumping sound. To be followed by a third voice crying out for help.

"Killian!"

Emma.

Killian didn't think he had ever run so fast in his entire life. He burst into a clearing and immediately felt his stomach drop to his knees at the sight that greeted him.

There were three cloaked figures with their backs towards him. Three skeletal arms lifted up with their pointer fingers and thumbs slowly squeezing together. And all three of his girls were suspended in mid air in a line, Emma on one end and Clara on the other with Catalina in the middle. All struggling to break free.

"Killian!" Emma cried out. For a moment Killian could only gape in sheer horror. His feet seemed rooted to the spot.

Hold on.

Killian looked down and saw a couple of black vines that had sprouted out of the dirt and begun wrapping themselves around his legs. A string of curses fell from Killian's lips and he reached for his sword.

Only to find it missing.

He cursed again, louder this time, and began hacking wildly at the vines with his hook.

"Daddy, help!" Clara screamed. Killian redoubled his efforts to escape from the vines, his movements becoming more and more frantic.

"Looks like you've found yourself in quite the predicament, dearie."

Killian's blood went ice cold at this new voice. He slowly looked over to find Rumplestiltskin standing in his full impish glory. "What the devil are you doing here?" Killian snarled. His eyes narrowed in fury as the Crocodile smirked at him.

"The question isn't what am I doing here, but rather what are you going to do about that?" the imp asked, making an elaborate gesture towards the Jones' women. "Especially when you're." He laughed that damned, insane laugh of his. "A bit tied up at the moment."

"Let. Them. Go." Killian growled.

"I hate to break this to you, dearie, but I am not the one doing that," the Crocodile informed him. "But I may be able to help. Or rather." A puff of smoke appeared between his hands and when it cleared, he was holding a sword. "This might be of some use."

"Give it to me!" Killian demanded, a furious hiss following as a third vine started trying to wrap itself around his hook. He yanked it free. "You loathsome -" The insult that had been on the tip of his tongue died as Killian took a good look at the sword.

"Recognize it, do you? Took you long enough, pirate," Rumplestiltskin sneered. The sword he was holding wasn't just any sword; it was Excalibur.

"I thought that got destroyed," Killian said, gaping at it.

"It's no ordinary sword." Rumplestilksin told him.

"Killian!" Emma shouted.

"Daddy!" Catalina shrieked, making the imp roll his eyes. He lifted his hand and made a sweeping gesture towards them. Killian's eyes widened as all three of his girls and their tormentors froze in place.

"What did you do?" Killian demanded.

"We need to talk," the Crocodile shrugged. "It'll be easier without all that pesky screaming going on. You can worry about them later, but for now I need to ask you a question. You miss it, don't you? Excalibur?"

"No," Killian said, firmly.

"No? What if I told you that this could help you save your girls?" That demented laugh again. "That got your attention, didn't it? You can't save them without it, dearie."

"Then give it to me, demon!" Killian made a grab for it, only to have Rumplestiltskin yank it just out of his reach.

"Not. So. Fast," he scolded. "Have you forgotten? What is it that I always say?" Rumplestiltskin waited a moment. "Magic always comes with a price. You use this." He lifted the sword. "And you'll have to be the one to pay it. So you have a decision to make. It's either you pay the price or all of your girls die horrible and painful deaths. It's up to you." He snapped his fingers and the scene before them unfroze.

"Which is it, pirate?" The imp asked, over the sound of the renewed screams. "It's time to make your choice."

"Daddy!" Catalina pleaded. "Help us!"

"Help, Da-" The word broke off into a strangled yelp. Killian's head snapped up in time to see Clara bring her small hands to her throat, her blue eyes wide in total panic. She was clearly fighting to breathe.

"Clara!" Killian cried. To Rumplestiltskin, he threw his hand out towards him and barked, "Give it to me." He didn't miss the evil smirk that appeared on the vile imp's face. "I don't care what happens to me. I have to save them!"

"Suit yourself." Rumplestiltskin handed him Excalibur. "But don't say I didn't warn you," he added in a sing-song voice.

Killian ignored him, using the sword to slash at the vines and finally free himself. He ran towards the hooded figures, letting out a battle cry as he swung the sword at them. Once, twice, three times. The third time was the charm; all the figures vanished with that fateful swing. The horrible magic that had held Killian's girls aloft disappearing, releasing them from their strange torment.

All three of the Jones women dropped to the ground, landing with hard thumps. Killian raced over to them, tripping over his own feet in his hurry to reach them. Emma and Catalina were very slowly moving up into sitting positions, but then he looked at Clara.

She was lying in a crumbled heap, not moving. "No," he whispered, dropping to his knees beside her. "No, please. Clara? Sweetheart, it's Daddy." He shook her gently, his panic rising as he got no response. "Clara, darling, please wake up. Please wake up for me." His voice broke.

No response.

"Clara, wake up!" His voice rose as a feeling of anguish joined his ever-rising panic. "Please! Wake up for Daddy." He shook her a little harder. "Wake up! Clara, wake up!"

Nothing.

"No." The word was full of sorrow. "No!" He leapt to his feet and rounded on Rumplestiltskin who was standing nearby. "You said that _I_ would be the one to pay the price! That sword was supposed to save them! You said it would save my girls!"

"Well, what do you call them?" The imp asked, gesturing to Emma and Catalina who were huddled together.

"What about Clara?" Killian demanded, ignoring the tears that were streaming down his cheeks.

"I never said it would be _all_ of your girls, now did I?" Rumplestiltskin clucked his tongue at him. "That." He waved his hand disdainfully at Clara's small limp form, "was your price."

Killian lunged towards him with a shout, but the imp disappeared in a puff of smoke. "You'll pay for this, demon!" He screamed. The sound of Emma and Catalina sobbing had him turning back towards them. Killian felt as though his heart had shattered into a million pieces as he once again fell to his knees by his youngest's side.

"Oh Clara. My precious, darling little girl." He gently drew her into his arms with the utmost care. "Clara." He began to weep freely as he cradled her close, rocking her slightly. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. Daddy's so so sorry. I'm so sorry."

* * *

Emma stirred at the sound of Killian's voice. She wearily lifted her head to look at the clock on her bedside table. 3:35am. She rubbed her eyes and turned to scold Killian for waking her up. Only to realize that he was still asleep.

"I'm so sorry," he was mumbling. "Daddy's so sorry..."

Emma frowned as she brought her hand to his shoulder, "Killian." She shook him gently. "Killian, wake up."

"Clara!" He woke suddenly, causing her to pull her hand back in surprise. He sat up, looking around their bedroom with wild eyes.

"Hey," Emma said, calmly, sitting up beside him. "Killian, look at me." She drew his face towards hers with her hand. "It's okay." He blinked at her for a moment and she gave him a hesitant smile. Whatever he'd been dreaming about had evidently shaken him to the core. "It's okay."

"Emma." Now he pressed his hand to her cheek. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She reached up to smooth his brow. "That was some dream you had, huh?"

"A dream." He closed his eyes for a moment. "It was just a dream." He sounded as if he was trying to assure himself of that, even as he looked over her anxiously. "You're alright." He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly.

"I'm alright," she confirmed, wrapping her arms around him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It was awful," he told her. "I was in this dark corridor and then made my way out into the woods. Then I heard Clara scream and I - " He broke off suddenly, letting go and pulling away from her. "Clara!" He practically jumped out of their bed.

"Killian?" Emma asked, alarmed. "Where are you going?"

"I have to see Clara!" Her face twisted in confusion as he headed towards their bedroom door.

"Now?!" She asked, gaping at him. "Killian, it's the middle of the -" He was out of the room before she could finish her sentence. "Night," she sighed.

* * *

Killian, meanwhile, was racing to Clara's room. His heart felt like it was about to leap out of his throat. There was a part of him that recognized that he was being completely irrational; it had only been a dream, for heaven's sake. He was in his own home, not in the woods. Not lost in some strange corridor. It stood to reason that his daughter was perfectly safe and asleep in her own bed.

But the dream had seemed so real. He could still remember exactly how her lifeless body had felt in his arms. He wouldn't be able to rest until he knew for certain that she was alright.

"Clara!" He cried as he burst into her room. Right away it occurred to him that he should refrain from doing that in the future. She had a hard enough time getting a good night's sleep what with her nightmares already and this seemed like a good way to trigger one. But then, at this particular moment he was far from logical.

He found her curled up on her side in her bed, facing the door with her arm wrapped around Jolly. The glow from her nightlight bathed her face in soft light. "Daddy?" Her voice was muddled with sleep as she blinked blearily at him. Killian nearly sank to the floor in his relief. Clara was safe. His baby girl was safe.

"Clara," he breathed her name. "You're okay."

"Daddy?" She repeated, sounding a little more alert now. Alert and confused.

"Yes, darling, it's me," he said softly, a pang of guilt hitting him over waking her up. "It's Daddy."

"Is it time to get up?" A small pout appeared on her face as he crouched down at her bedside. "I'm still sleepy."

"No, my littlest love." He reached up to gently brush her hair away from her sweet face. "It's not. I'm sorry I woke you. I just...I just needed to see you."

She studied him for a moment, her face filling up with concern as she did. "What's wrong, Daddy?" She sat up, setting Jolly down beside her before turning so her legs dangled off her bed between them. "Are you sad?"

"I had a bad dream, is all," he confessed, suddenly feeling incredibly foolish. Not only had he burst into her room in the middle of the night like a crazy person, he'd now gotten her worried about him.

"Like mine?" she asked, quietly. "Do you want to talk about it?" The question made a soft, surprised laugh escape from him at their sudden role reversal. How many times had he asked her that same question?

"I dreamed that you'd...gotten hurt." He chose his words carefully. "You and Mommy and Catalina. It scared me, but I'm alright now. I shouldn't have woken you up. Daddy's sorry, sweetheart." The words made him think back to his dream and he shuddered in spite of himself.

"It's okay," she replied, reaching out to touch his cheek.

"It is not," he argued, smiling at her. "You need your sleep."

"But you needed me," she countered, giving him a sweet smile in return that made him melt. "You help me when I have a bad dream. Now I'll help you."

"You will, will you?" He asked, feeling equal parts touched and amused.

"Uh-huh," she nodded. "I'll do what you always do."

"Which is what, exactly?"

"You say it's you." Her nose wrinkled adorably in thought. "But you know it's me."

"I do, yes." He rested his chin on his stump, delighted with her. "What else do I do?"

Unbeknownst to either of them, Emma had followed Killian to Clara's room. She now stood leaning against the doorway, a smile on her face as she watched them.

"You tell me it's okay," she said with a nod. "Then you give me cuddles until I feel better." She slid off her bed and put her hands on his shoulders. "And you tell you me you love me." She gave him a soft kiss on the cheek before wrapping her arms around his neck. "It's okay now, Daddy. It's okay."

Emma pressed a hand to her heart. It was such a classic Killian move; Clara was indeed her father's daughter. The thought filled Emma with so much love and happiness that it took everything she had to stop herself from ruining the moment by rushing in to hug them.

Clara, meanwhile, was resting her head on Killian's shoulder. "I love you, Daddy," she said quietly.

Killian held her close, overwhelmed with love for her. He once again found himself wondering how he'd gotten so lucky as to be the father of the precious little girl in his arms. It was something he'd wondered a lot over the years. Not just about Clara, but about Catalina as well. He placed a series of kisses on the side of Clara's head. "I love you, my darling," he said as he closed his eyes. He wasn't much for prayer, but he found himself saying one of thanks and gratitude for his Clara. "Daddy loves you so much."

* * *

"Clara?" Killian asked softly. He'd been reluctant to let her go, still needing the assurance that she was okay. His nightmare was still all too vivid in his mind. So he'd begun rocking her gently, trying to soothe her back to sleep. "Clara?" This time her name came out in a whisper.

"She's asleep." He jolted ever so slightly at the sound of Emma's voice. "Sorry," she whispered as she knelt beside him. "I couldn't help watching."

"It's okay," he assured her, taking care to keep his voice soft. He stood, holding onto Clara as he did so before carefully shifting her in his arms so he could put her back in her bed. He grabbed Jolly and set the stuffed duck by her hands, smiling when she hugged it in her sleep. He then pulled the covers up around her and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, sweetheart," he whispered. He gave Emma a sheepish smile as he turned to face her. "Again."

Emma let out a soft chuckle as she grabbed his hand. "Come on." She led him out of Clara's room and waited while he carefully closed her door. "Think I need to get you back to bed too."

"Give me a minute, would you, love?" he asked, slipping his hand out of hers and crossing the hallway to Catalina's room. The panic from his dream had mostly faded, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep until he checked on Catalina. This time though, he took care to ease the door open.

Catalina was lying on her side facing her window. She, too, slept holding a stuffed animal - in her case, it was a stuffed puppy that she had named Cinnamon. She actually had two stuffed puppies that she slept with on her bed. The other was an adorable brown one named Cocoa. The family's general fondness for cocoa with cinnamon sprinkled on top had influenced the naming process.

Thinking about that made Killian smile as he walked around her bed towards her. Poor Cocoa lay abandoned on the other side of her bed. He crouched down by her side. Like he'd done with Clara, he reached up to gently brush her hair from her face.

"Daddy?"

 _'Bloody hell'_ , he thought with some amusement. He still felt guilty for waking Clara and had hoped that he wouldn't wake Catalina as well, but luck was apparently not on his side.

Then again, as he watched her peek at him with her mother's eyes, he found himself thinking the opposite. Seeing his girls safe in their beds was comfort enough after that dream, but getting to look in their eyes was even better. Even if the late hour made him feel bad about it.

"Yes, sweetheart. I'm sorry I woke you," he said quietly. "I didn't mean to."

"S'okay," she said sleepily. She rubbed her eyes and peered at him more closely. "Are you okay, Daddy?"

"My goodness." He shook his head. "How is it that all my girls know when something is wrong with me?"

"You're something of an open book to us, Daddy," she answered, making him grin. It was something that he'd said to all of them at some point; guess it was only a matter of time before one of his daughters said it back to him. "What happened?"

"Nothing happened, lass. It was only a bad dream. I just had to make sure that you were okay," he told her. "That's all."

"I'm okay," she assured him with a yawn.

"I'm so glad. I love you so much, Catalina," he said, tenderly. "You know that, right?"

"Aye," she replied, making him chuckle. Her lips turned up in a mischievous smile. "I love you too, Daddy." She yawned again.

"Okay, I think you need to get back to sleep. As do I. I'll see you in the morning, alright?" He asked.

"Alright," she agreed. "Night Daddy."

"Goodnight, love." He leaned in to kiss her temple. "Sleep well."

"You too," she murmured. He smiled as her eyes closed, taking a moment to say a prayer of gratitude for her as well before getting up and slipping out of her room.

* * *

Emma had waited in the hallway for him and now smiled as he closed Catalina's door behind him. "Everything okay in there?"

"Yes." Looking at her now had his heart speeding back up as the image of his three girls being suspended in midair flashed in his mind again. He gave his head a hard shake in the hopes of dislodging it. "I, um, accidentally woke Catalina up too. But she's sleeping now."

"Okay," Emma said, hesitantly. Her brow furrowed as she studied him. "Are you okay now?"

"I'm not entirely certain," he answered honestly. He shook his head again, frustrated with himself. The dream was well and over, but it seemed to be lingering. Looking at his wife, it hit him that there was probably only one thing that could drive the memory of his nightmare away.

She opened her mouth to say something, but he pulled her into his arms and kissed her before she could. "I love you." He eased back to look deeply into her eyes with an intensity that took her aback. "Gods, I love you so bloody much." He kissed her again, more thoroughly this time.

"Mmm, I love you too." She was breathless when they pulled apart. She framed his face with her hands. The way he was still looking at her had her thinking that he'd drill a hole in her head. "That dream really did a number on you, didn't it?"

"Aye, it did. It was so real and I don't think it's going away anytime soon," he confessed.

"Tell me how I can help," she urged him, worried and wanting to make him feel better. She watched his tongue flicker to the corner of his mouth as his eyes flickered down to her lips and back up again. She caressed his cheeks with her thumbs. "How can I make it go away?"

"I know it's the middle of the night and you probably want to go back to sleep, but." His voice had gone rough. "I need you, my love. I need to lose myself inside you, please." Now his voice broke as he heard the echo of her screams from his dream in his head. "Let me make love to you, Swan."

Emma didn't give him a verbal response, instead opting to brush her lips against his as she slid her hands to his shoulders and then down his arms. She gently took hold of both hand and stump, letting her fingers lovingly caress his stump before releasing it. She turned, keeping his hand in hers as she lead him back into their bedroom.

Pausing to let him close their door, Emma then towed him over to their bed. He turned her back towards him, their mouths naturally finding their way to each other. They fell back on their bed where their nightclothes were slowly discarded. Their lovemaking was mostly silent, punctuated by the occasional sigh or moan.

Killian seemed determined to cover every inch of her body with soft kisses and she was perfectly content to let him do so. It was as if he was trying to drown out the remnants of his dream with tenderness. He brought her right to the edge a couple of times only to pull back right before sending her all the way over. It was the sweetest kind of torture. It wasn't until Emma half whispered and half whimpered a "Killian, please," that he let her go over, his head buried between her thighs. His hand found hers while he gently licked her down from her high.

He kept her hand in his as his mouth worked its way back up her body to where he whispered an "I love you," against her lips as he pushed himself inside her. He locked his eyes on hers as he began to move, slowly at first. He gradually built up speed as she clutched at him with her free hand, her nails digging into his shoulder. He felt those last traces of fear disappear as he repeatedly thrust his hips against hers and back again; his fears were no match for their love.

No match for Emma and who she was: the savior. _His_ savior. His wife. His lover. His best friend. There was no amount of darkness that she couldn't chase away. She was the only thing that mattered to him right now. His Emma and the way she made him feel. He managed to hold on until she had climaxed and then, finally, let himself go.

* * *

Afterwards, Emma snuggled up to him and began idly tracing patterns in his chest hair, still wanting to soothe. Now her hand movements began to slow as her fatigue caught up with her.

"I love you," she told him, turning her head to press her lips against his chest. "Go back to sleep. I'm okay." She yawned. "Our girls are okay. Sleep."

"As you wish." He placed a lingering kiss on the top of her head. "I love you, Swan." He stayed awake for a little while after she had fallen back asleep. Giving her another kiss, he found himself sending up yet another prayer. This one for his wife.

Before he slowly drifted off back to sleep, he found himself making a solemn vow. Or, more accurately, renewing an old one. It was something he had vowed when he made Emma his wife and at the birth of both of their daughters. He would love his girls to the best of his ability and he would always strive to make sure they knew it. And with that vow of love came a vow of protection. He would keep his girls safe from anyone or anything that might harm them. May heaven help anyone who tried.


	15. Baby Love - Catalina

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

 **A/N: I'm so happy to finally post a new one shot! I meant to get one up a couple of weeks ago, but that obviously didn't happen. I'll be honest and admit that I really haven't been liking the new season all that much, save for a few things. I do think Colin has been doing a great job, even if I'm not loving (and actually kind of hating) how his storyline is being handled. The upside to the most recent episode is getting to see Colin with a baby. It's funny because at first I was so irritated that I didn't want anything to do with OUAT for a couple of days, but then I kept seeing all these pictures and gifs of him with the baby and they ended up inspiring this one shot. I have a few others that are just about ready to be posted, but decided to bump this to the front of the line. I've shown you highlights from Emma's pregnancy with Catalina and now you're going to see some scenes of Catalina as a baby. Some are sweet and a couple are silly.**

 **Preview of what's coming: Catalina's first magic lesson(s), the truth about Clara's nightmares, a look back at season 4 (mainly the 6 weeks between 4a and 4b), Grandpa Charming, more bad dreams, birthdays, a dance and a look at how the ghosts from Emma and Killian's pasts can still haunt them. Like I said, some of them are nearly ready to go up, but the schedule is still to be determined. If there's one (or more) that anyone would like to see sooner than later, let me know. Hope you enjoy this one.  
**

 **Rating: K**

* * *

Mama's Ray of Sunshine

" _You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray._ " Emma was sitting on the soft mat they had set down on their living room floor. Five month old Catalina was lying on her back in front of Emma while she sang. Emma had never considered herself much of a singer. She'd liked to sing as a kid, but gave it up after a fellow foster kid bluntly told her that no one cared about her singing.

Emma hadn't sung too much after that. She hadn't had much cause to sing, after all. And that kid had been right. No one cared about her singing anyway.

That wasn't the case anymore. She'd found herself an adorable little fan in the form of her sweet daughter before her. At the moment, Catalina was gazing up at her mother with a look of adoration on her angelic face. She smiled down at her daughter as she continued with what she'd begun to think of as Catalina's song. " _You'll never know, dear, how much I love you._ " Emma sang softly, gently tapping Catalina on the nose on the 'you' and making her coo in response. " _So please don't take my sunshine away._ "

"You are my little ray of sunshine, aren't you, baby?" Emma asked softly, making Catalina laugh by tickling her tummy. "You're mama's ray of sunshine. Yes, you are."

Sensing movement out of the corner of her eye, Emma looked up to find Killian standing nearby with a smile on his face. "How long have you been there?" Emma asked.

"Only a little while," he answered, his smile widening when Catalina let out another coo at the sound of his voice. "You sounded lovely, Swan." He sat down beside them. "And I daresay that our little lass agrees with me. Don't you, lass?"

"Yeah, well," Emma said, somewhat embarrassed.

"I like when you sing," Killian told her. "You should do it more often."

"So should you," Emma countered, giving him a little push with her arm.

* * *

Problems with Peas

"Chugga goes the choo-choo!" Emma cooed as she attempted, yet again, to get her daughter to try peas. She added train noises to try to sweeten the deal, but Catalina was having none of it. She clamped her lips together as she turned her head away from the spoon. Emma sighed as she happened to glance across the table at Killian, noting that he had his eyebrow lifted at her. "What?"

"Chugga goes the choo-choo?" He repeated, his voice dripping with disdain. "Really, Swan?"

"You think you can do better?" Emma asked, sticking the spoon in the little jar of peas before sliding it across Catalina's high chair towards her husband. "Be my guest."

"Gladly," he said. "Watch and learn, love. Watch and learn." At this, Emma rolled her eyes. "Catalina? Oy!" Killian said, drawing Catalina's attention. "Alright, my girl. Enough fooling around. It's dinner time and you're going to eat your peas, alright?" He brought the spoon to Catalina's mouth.

Only to have her bat at the spoon with her hand, catapulting the peas at his face.

"Oh, you showed me alright," Emma snickered.

Killian inclined his head in acknowledgement as he wiped the peas off his cheek. "Perhaps that wasn't the right tactic," he conceded. "But neither was the train."

"Yeah? I didn't get peas flung in my face," Emma pointed out.

"You didn't get them in her mouth either," Killian countered. His face lit up in inspiration a moment later. "I think I've got it."

"This oughta be good," Emma said.

"Quiet you," he said, playfully. "The Captain stands on his deck watching the horizon when all of a sudden, out of the corner of his eye, he spots...a kraken." At this, Killian hunkered down over Catalina's high chair and drawing her attention once more. "Oh and it's a vicious sea monster at that. Just look at the wee beastie. She's a ferocious one, alright." The wee beastie in question was sitting in her high chair wearing a purple onesie, her bib covered with little whales, her eyes focused on her father's face.

"You did not just turn our baby into a sea monster," Emma said, in slight disbelief.

Ignoring her, Killian continued. "The Captain sets his sights on the wee beastie and loads up his cannon." He stuck the spoon back in the peas. "He takes his aim." He raised the spoon. "He fires!" He made an explosion to Emma's astonishment, slid the spoon right into Catalina's mouth. "Are you kidding me?" Emma asked as Killian let out a whoop of victory.

"Who's Daddy's little sea monster?" Killian cooed to Catalina, grinning at their baby as he scooped up another spoonful of peas. Catalina reached out to grab it and he deftly pulled it out of range. "Aye, love. You're my little sea monster. Now open up." Another explosion sound. Once again the spoon went right into her mouth.

"Unbelievable," Emma muttered as Killian shot her a wink.

* * *

It was a week after Killian had somewhat miraculously gotten their baby girl to eat peas and now Emma was trying again. With no luck. Trains were clearly a no go. Planes didn't work for peas.

Emma sighed as spaceships failed her. Killian, meanwhile, had excused himself from the table to use the restroom.

"Okay, Catalina," Emma said. She glanced behind her to make sure Killian wasn't on his way back as she loaded up the spoon. "The Captain, um Savior, stands on her Captain's ship and spots a kraken." She lowered herself over Catalina's high chair as she said this. If she was really doing this, she was doing it properly, darn it.

"She's a tough little beastie. The Savior sets her sights on the monster and takes her aim. And she fires!" Emma cried before making the obligatory explosion sound, successfully sliding the spoon into her daughter's mouth. "That's my girl! Aw, who's Mommy's little sea monster?"

"Ahem." The smile faded from Emma's face, her expression turning sheepish as she looked back to find Killian standing there.

"Oh hi," she said, earning herself a cocked eyebrow in response. "It's the only thing that works!" she added, somewhat defensively.

"That's alright, Swan" Killian smirked as he made his way back to his seat. "If you're going to steal, at least you're stealing from the best."

* * *

Dancing with Daddy

It was amazing the amount of love the human heart could hold, Emma mused as she watched Killian and Catalina. She'd been watching them for a while, mesmerized by the picture they made together.

She'd left Catalina in Killian's care while she took a quick shower. When she came back downstairs, she was greeted by singing. She found Killian dancing in the middle of their living room with Catalina in his arms. He held her tiny hand in his as he swayed side to side in time to the lullaby he was singing. Slowly moving them in a circle.

Emma didn't recognize the tune, but the song itself hardly mattered. He was singing the song so sweetly and looking at their little girl with such love in his eyes. Having their daughter had introduced Emma to a side of her husband she'd never seen before. A side that she absolutely adored. Killian loved Catalina with everything he was, plain and simple. It was as if there'd been a piece of his heart just waiting to be given to the beautiful golden haired baby in his arms. He was fiercely protective of his little princess and yet so remarkably tender with her.

Catalina, for her part, definitely seemed to share Emma's adoration for Killian. At this moment, she only had eyes for her daddy. Emma couldn't resist the urge to pull her cell phone out of her pocket so she could film them, wanting to capture this moment so she could look back on it. Not that Killian singing to their daughter was so unusual. Not that Emma hadn't filmed them before.

Killian's song came to an end and he gently lifted Catalina's hand up, bowing his head to kiss it. "I love you, sweetheart," he said, his voice tender. "Yeah. Daddy loves you so much." He turned and finally spotted Emma, the faintest of smirks appearing on his face. "Don't look now, my girl. But we have a spy in our midst." That was said to Catalina. To Emma, he asked, "How long have you been standing there?"

"A while," Emma said, smiling at him as she stopped recording.

"Sneaking pictures, I see," he said, nodding to her phone.

"Video, actually," she corrected him, feeling somewhat sheepish as she slid the phone back into her pocket. "I couldn't help it. You're so sweet together."

"How about you come over and dance with us, love?"

"You stopped singing," Emma replied.

"The song was finished. Perhaps if you join us, I'll start another," he said, extending his arm in invitation. Emma decided to accept it, going over to join then and putting one arm around his waist. She lifted her other hand to Catalina's back.

Their positioning made it a bit awkward at first, but they began swaying together. Soon settling into a nice rhythm as Killian hummed. Emma let out a happy sigh as she smiled at their daughter. "This is nice, isn't it, baby? Dancing with Daddy?" She turned her attention to her husband. "We love Daddy, don't we?"

"Daddy loves you both," Killian said, smiling at her. "My two golden haired lasses."

"Killian?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm happy. I'm really, truly happy," Emma told him.

"Aye, love. Me too." He leaned down to give her a soft kiss, causing Catalina to start crying. "Uh oh. I think someone's jealous."

"It's okay, baby," Emma cooed to her daughter. "Kiss sandwich?"

"Of course. We can't have our little sweetheart feeling left out, now can we?" Killian replied. With that, they both leaned in to kiss Catalina's cheeks at the same time. This had become customary in the Jones household. If Emma and Killian kissed in Catalina's presence, they then had to give her one too. "We love you, Catalina."

"We love you very, very much," Emma added.

* * *

The Tickle Monster

Emma was greeted by the sound of Catalina laughing as she came in their front door. Waddled in their front door, to be more accurate. She was pregnant with what would be her and Killian's second little girl and her due date was a little over a month away. It was hard to believe that they were so close to meeting their baby girl. Not only that, but their Catalina would be two years old in a few months. Emma tried not to think about how in a month's time, her and Killian would be the parents of a toddler and a newborn. It would be a challenge, she thought. But one she was certain they could rise to.

Mostly certain.

Most of the time.

She had her moments, okay? Moments where she'd be overcome by a rush of anxiety and someone, usually one of her men or her mother, would have to calm her down. In her heart, she knew that her and Killian would be okay. They'd figure it out. Besides, her excitement over meeting their newest baby girl, their Clara, far outweighed her anxiety.

Emma had been out with her mother, leaving Killian with Catalina. And apparently the two of them were having a grand old time. She walked in to find Killian in their living room, lifting Catalina in the air while he spun them around. "Uh-oh lass, it looks like we've been hit!" he was saying.

Emma watched in amusement as Killian spun this way and that, shooting her a grin when he saw her. "We're the Flying Roger on the run from our foes," he informed his wife. The Flying Roger bit had started a couple of months ago. According to Killian, it was the name of his and Catalina's spaceship. Emma had teased him about his lack of creativity, but he'd merely rolled his eyes at her criticism. Because Catalina liked the name, he'd said, and that was that.

"Not doing a very good job of it, are you?" Emma asked. "Heard you've been hit."

"Oh we have." He swooped a giggling Catalina off to the side and back again. "We've been hit! And we're going down. Ahh!" Now Emma was giggling as Killian made a show of collasping onto their couch. "It's to the depths of the ocean for us," he added, slowly lowering Catalina to sit in front of him on the couch.

"I thought the Flying Roger was a spaceship," Emma cut in as she joined them in the living room.

"Aye, it is," Killian confirmed.

"So you're falling into the ocean. From space," she said.

"Indeed we are. It was a terrible fall, it truly t'was," Killian said, dramatically. "Alas, the poor Flying Roger wasn't equipped for the sea. But uh-oh! What's this?" His eyes were wide as he looked at his hand, curving his fingers to make a claw. "Oh no. It's even worse than I feared, lass. It's the most heinous, the most dreaded, the most horrible Tickle Monster!" He looked between his hand and his daughter. "Stay away from my daughter, you fiend! No. No!"

Emma rolled her eyes, though she couldn't help being entertained by his antics as he pretended to struggle to keep his hand from reaching Catalina. "It's going to get you," he warned her. "It's got you. Not my daughter!" he cried as he made his daughter shriek with laughter as he tickled her. "Oh the humanity!" He finally grabbed his right wrist with his hook and yanked it back. He then lightly smacked the back of his hand with the curve of his hook. "Bad Tickle Monster." He made a whimpering noise as he made a complete fist and dropped his hand to the side, letting out an exaggerated breath. "Whew. That was a close one, that."

"Are you done?" Emma asked, unable to wipe the smile off her face as she stepped closer to him. She shook her head at him, reaching down to ruffle his hair affectionately before looking at Catalina. "Silly Daddy."

"Silly Daddy," Catalina agreed.

"Ganging up on me, are we?" Killian asked. "That's alright. I bet Clara's on my side." He brought his hand to Emma's stomach. "And how is my littlest love doing?"

"I think your littlest love might be throwing herself a little dance party in there," Emma said. "That or she can't get comfortable. Just like her Mommy."

"Aw, come sit with us," Killian said, scooting backwards on the couch to make room for Emma to sit down. She did, letting out a sigh of relief. "Better?"

"Better," Emma admitted. "It feels good to sit."

"Good. Do you need anything, love? Some water, perhaps? Or something to eat?" he asked.

"Not right now," she assured him. "I just want to rest for a little while. Now if Clara could rest some too, that'd be great."

"Hear that, my darling girl?" Killian asked as he put his hand back on Emma's stomach, gently rubbing in an attempt to soothe their unborn daughter. "Time to rest now." He leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her stomach. Emma felt her breath hitch in her throat as Catalina followed suit, mimicking her father and leaning forward to kiss Emma's stomach too.

"West now, baby," she said, sweetly.

* * *

Little Sister

The big day had finally come. Catalina was officially a big sister. Clara had finally arrived, nearly two weeks after Emma's due date. She'd been born in the middle of the night and now it was mid-morning as Killian headed to the waiting room to meet Henry and Catalina and introduce them to their new baby sister. Emma and Killian had done their best to prepare Catalina for Clara's arrival, but Killian couldn't help feeling anxious as he entered the waiting room and found Henry and Catalina sitting with their grandparents and Neal. He so wanted this first meeting to go well. Killian's eyes focused in on his daughter, who was sitting on David's lap.

Killian managed to get David's attention and his father-in-law smiled as he lowered his head to say something to Catalina, pointing in Killian's direction. Killian smiled as Catalina's face lit up. "Daddy!" she squealed, wriggling her way off of David's lap and running towards her daddy. Killian crouched down and caught her as she flung herself into his arms. "Daddy!" she repeated, happily.

"Hello, my sweet girl! Daddy missed you," he told her, cuddling her close and kissing the top of her head. "Guess what?" he said.

"What?" she asked.

"You're a big sister, lass," he told her, his voice bright. "Your baby sister is here!" Killian glanced up and grinned at the rest of their family. "Clara Marie is here. 6 pounds and 8 ounces. She's beautiful." He turned his attention back to Catalina. "Just as beautiful as you were when you were born."

"And Emma?" Snow spoke up.

"Perfectly alright," Killian assured her. "Better than alright, I'd say. She's doing great. And I know she wants to see her Catalina. What do you say, love? Do you want to go see Mommy and meet your baby sister?"

"Yes!" Catalina agreed.

"Good because I know Mommy really, really missed you," Killian beamed at her as he stood, lifting her up with him. "And you know what else?"

"What?"

"I think your little sister is going to be so, so excited to meet you," he told her. "Shall we go?" He gestured to Henry to join them as he spoke.

"Let's go, Daddy!" Catalina insisted.

* * *

The moment of truth had arrived. Emma had opted to have Clara in the bassinet that the hospital had brought in so she could greet Catalina with both arms. It was important for her to show Catalina that she wasn't going to pushed aside in favor of the new baby, to let her know that she was still just as loved as she always had been. So Killian had set Catalina down on Emma's bed so Emma could cuddle her for a bit while Henry got acquainted with his newest little sister.

And then Catalina sat next to her mother as Killian took Clara from Henry's arms and placed her in Emma's. "Hey Clara," Emma cooed to her newborn. "This is your big sister, Catalina. Yeah." Looking at Catalina, she said, "Do you want to say hi to your baby sister?"

"Hi baby." So far, so good. Catalina was peering at her sister with obvious interest. She reached her hand out to Clara experimentally, but froze when Clara let out a small cry.

"It's okay," Emma encouraged softly. "You can touch her. Just be really, really gentle, okay?" Catalina patted her little sister as she looked her over.

"Baby." This was said to Killian who was smiled at his girls.

"Yes, sweetheart. That's your baby sister Clara," he told her.

"Clawa," Catalina repeated, leaning closer to her sister's face. "Hi Clawa. I love you."


	16. Clara's Monsters (1)

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

 **A/N: Definitely didn't mean to go so long between updates! But this is back with that multi-chaptered story that I've mentioned in other notes. I tried something different with this one and I would say that a healthy suspension of disbelief might help. I don't write a lot of action or what have you, but wanted to give it a shot. For anyone who ever wondered if there might be more to Clara's nightmares, well, the short answer? Yes. The creatures featured in this were inspired by Celtic mythology.**

* * *

Something strange and disturbing was happening in Storybrooke. For all of the other strange and disturbing things that had happened in this town, this was unlike any of the others. Oh, there were some similarities. Namely, that people were scared and getting hurt because of it. Like so many of the other times the town had been under siege by a faceless villain, the first step towards defeating said villain was identifying said villain.

From then it was a question of figuring how what they wanted, learning what they hoped to achieve and most importantly? How they could be vanquished. Heaven knew that this particular band of heroes had a vast arsenal of weapons to use against any kind of villain. But you can't defeat a villain until you know who the villain is.

There had been several meetings about issue over the past few weeks. This latest meeting was taking place at the home of Emma and Killian Jones. It was sometime after dinner. Catalina and Clara had been put to bed; along with Neal, because his parents were there; and everyone hoped that they would stay asleep. They were all hoping they could defeat this newest evil before it could impact the lives of their children.

They all feared that they would be too late. Their children had already noticed some of the things that were happening. The strange footprints coming out of the lake that certainly didn't belong to any human. Nor any animal they could name. The claw marks on the trees near the water. The strange sounds heard by the shoreline; they were sometimes described as a combination of an eerie growl and a hiss.

It'd all started a few weeks ago when Leroy had come to them saying that he'd seen a big, dark something he hadn't been able to identify. When pressed he said that it seemed like a weird cross between a beaver and a crocodile, but he hadn't been able to get close enough to tell for sure before the creature disappeared into the night.

Some days had passed and then Archie had found Emma, David and Killian and told them that he'd seen something similar while out walking Pongo one night. Pongo now refused to go near the water during their walks. They'd been approaching the lake when Pongo had stopped dead in his track, emitting a low growl that was so vicious that it chilled Archie to the bone. He'd never heard Pongo make a sound like that.

That was when Archie himself spotted the creature. It was creeping along the shoreline of the lake, its reptilian eyes fixed directly on Archie and Pongo. As if in warning. That's what Archie had said. It had been as if the creature was warning them not to come closer.

Archie's face had gone white at the memory. The creature didn't make any further move towards them, but its gaze never wandered. Archie had slowly backed away for a few steps before his fear got the better of him and he turned and ran, Pongo leading the way. They'd avoided the water ever since.

Now more reports were coming in. A few people had even gotten hurt. At first it seemed as if there was only one creature haunting the town, but now it seemed like there were several. There was one person who had come running into Granny's, eyes wide in pure terror, as they screamed about having just seen an entire pack of the beasts. Up until recently these reports had strictly come from people who'd been near the bodies of water; though never from the ocean. But now a couple had been spotted around town. Always at night.

It seemed as if almost everyone had seen these creatures. Everyone except for this exasperated group of heroes. They had deduced that the sudden appearance of all of these creatures was no coincidence. Someone had caused them to appear. But who? And why?

Earlier today, they had gotten their first big break. Or so they believed. Someone had finally gotten a clear picture of one of the beasts. Leroy's description had been pretty accurate. It really looked as if it were part beaver and part crocodile. It looked part demon as well. It had sent a chill running through each of them.

Killian had attempted to lighten the mood by suggesting that maybe it was one of Mr. Gold's relatives and this was some sort of family squabble. This had gotten mixed results. Though it had made all of them wonder if Mr. Gold was involved.

Things with Mr. Gold were...odd at the present. It seemed as if he had truly decided to stop terrorizing the town, but he'd been keeping his distance. As usual none of them knew where he really stood. Emma and David had gone to talk to him that afternoon. He had no answers, but he did say that he'd been looking into it. He'd offered to help, in a vague kind of way. One that didn't involve him attending any of their meetings.

Ultimately, Emma and David had decided to take him at his word. He truly didn't seem to know what these creatures were or where they might have come from. Whether he would actually be a help to them or not would remain to be seen. But then, that was usually the case with Mr. Gold.

In any event, the kitchen table at the Jones household was a full one. Full of people and pictures of the creature so they could all study it. In addition to Emma, Killian, Mary Margaret and David there was also Henry and Regina. Belle and Zelena had been there earlier, but Belle had decided to head back to the library to do more research and Zelena had gone with her.

They'd all been spouting theories and possible plans of attack against these creatures, but they were no closer to figuring out who was behind this. It was starting to get late and they were all getting tired. Mary Margaret was just about to suggest they call it a night and get back to it in the morning when they were interrupted.

"Mommy?"

Emma looked up at the sound of her youngest daughter's voice. Clara stood just outside of the kitchen in her pajamas. Her dark hair was mussed from sleep and she was hugging her beloved stuffed duck to her chest. When all of the adults turned to look at her, she seemed to curl into herself and her chin came to rest against Jolly.

"Clara? What's the matter, baby? We thought you were asleep," Emma said, getting up and walking to her daughter.

"I was, but." Clara's eyes flickered over to the rest of the adults at the table for a moment and then back to her mother. "I had to go pee and now I can't sleep."

"Can't sleep, huh? I think I know the cure for that. How about I make you some cocoa?" Emma asked. Mary Margaret and Regina made a hasty attempt to cover all the pictures before Clara could see them as Emma talked.

"Okay," Clara agreed.

"Okay," Emma smiled at her and then began collecting what she needed for the cocoa. Clara stayed where she was, a small smile appearing on her face in response to the one Mary Margaret gave her.

"Come here, little love," Killian said, reaching out his hand to his daughter. "Why do you suppose you can't sleep?" He brought his hand to her head when she came to him and attempted to restore some order to her hair.

"Bad dream, little duck?" David asked. He was sitting at the head of the table on Clara's other side.

"No, Grandpa, I..." Clara trailed off. Her face slowly went pale as her back stiffened, her eyes growing wide with alarm.

"Clara? Honey, what's wrong?" Mary Margaret asked, concerned. They watched as Clara pointed a shaking finger at one of the pictures of the creature that the women had missed.

Clara whirled around so that she was facing her father full on and gaped at him in what could only be described as utter betrayal. "You said they weren't real!"

"What?" Killian asked, stunned by the tone of accusation in his sweet daughter's voice.

"You said they weren't real!" she repeated, jabbing her small finger at the picture.

"Holy crap," Henry muttered from his spot at the table.

"Clara?" It was Emma who spoke, cocoa forgotten as she went back to her daughter. "What are you talking about, baby?" Though she had a sinking feeling that she already knew. A feeling that got worse when her daughter's panic filled eyes met her own.

"My monsters!" Clara exclaimed, her voice breaking.

"Your..." Emma gulped. Her sinking feeling had apparently been right. She closed her eyes for a moment before asking a question that she didn't want to ask, but she didn't have a choice. She needed to ask it. "Honey, are you telling us that these are the monsters from your dreams?"

"Yes!" Clara confirmed. She turned back to glare at Killian. "You said they weren't real." This time when she said it, the words were laced with tears. "You lied!"

"Clara, darling, I didn't know..." Killian practically pleaded. His little girl looked devastated, angry and hurt all at the same time. As if he had completely let her down and she'd lost all her faith in him because of it. It broke his heart. Now she was backing away from him. "Clara..."

"You lied," she whispered before suddenly turning on her heels and running for the stairs.

"Clara!" Killian called, but she ignored him. She hurried up the stairs back to her bedroom. "Bloody hell," he mumbled, wincing as they heard her bedroom door slam shut.

"Her monsters are real," Emma breathed, horror-stricken.

"Holy crap," Henry repeated.

"I better go up and talk to her," Emma said, glancing towards the stairs.

"No, love," Killian shook his head as he got to his feet. "It should be me. I'm the one she's mad at."

* * *

Clara flung herself on her bed upon entering her room. She clung onto Jolly as she began to sob. In her heart of hearts, she'd always known that her monsters were real. That her dreams weren't just dreams and never had been. They were a sign of things to come.

Oh, but she'd so wanted to believe her parents when they said they were just nightmares. Wanted to believe Daddy when he said that her monsters weren't real. But her monsters __were__ real and she knew it was only a matter of time before they came after her.

She froze at the sound of a thumping against her window. One thump, followed by another. She looked up and her eyes widened in fear as she found herself looking at one of her monsters. It's eyes were dark and almost seemed to be glowing as it slammed into her window. For a moment her fear paralyzed her; she couldn't move.

And then the window broke and she screamed. The scream seemed to jolt her limbs back awake. She tumbled off her bed in her haste to get off of it. Eyes wide, she scuttled backwards on her hands and feet like a scared little crab as she watched the beast swoop towards her.

She'd been right. It __had__ only been a matter of time before her monsters came from her.

Unfortunately, that time had come.

* * *

Killian was almost at the top of the stairs when he heard the sound of breaking glass, immediately followed by a scream. He hurried the rest of the way to Clara's room and flung the door open, nearly having a heart attack at the sight that greeted him.

It was that of his little girl being hauled out of her window by one of the horrific monsters from the pictures. From Clara's nightmares. If Killian had to guess, he'd say that it was about five feet long. Not the biggest monster he'd ever faced, but there was something distinctively demonic about it that made his hair stand on end.

"Daddy!" she screamed as he raced to her window.

"Give me back my daughter, you loathsome demon!" Killian snarled, his blood boiling with anger and fear as he made a wild grab for Clara. Missing her by mere inches.

"Daddy!" Clara shrieked as the creature slowly began to fly away. "Daddy, help!"

"Clara!" he shouted. "Clara!"

* * *

"Was that a scream?" Mary Margaret asked, a frown on her face. Emma moved towards the stairs as Killian came rushing down them. Looking every bit the vengeful pirate he'd once been.

"Killian? What was that?" She asked, alarmed as he hurried to grab his sword. "What's going on?"

"Clara's gone," he growled. "One of her monsters took her. I'm going after her!"

"Killian, wait!" Emma hurried after him as he stalked over to their front door. "What do you mean one of her monsters took her?"

"What the bloody hell do you think I mean?" He snapped as he yanked their front door open. "One of those damn creatures broke through her window and took her! And now I'm going to find her."

"Let me get my sword. I'll go with you," Emma decided, quickly.

"No, Swan," he shook his head, his eyes growing wide. "You won't."

"What the hell do you mean I won't?" she demanded.

"Look." He pointed up at the sky, hearing her gasp a second later.

"Oh my God," she breathed.

There, flying towards their house was a group of Clara's monsters. "Stay here and defend the house," Killian ordered. "Keep Catalina safe."

"But how do you plan on finding Clara?" She asked, clearly torn on what she should do.

"Don't worry about that. I'll find her," he said with a nod. He didn't give her a chance to argue, just took off running in the direction that he'd watched the demon head with his daughter. Somewhere in the back of his mind it occurred to him that he had no way to drag the creature from the sky. He didn't exactly have a plan in place for rescuing her, but how could he not chase after them?

"Killian!" Emma cried, but it was no use.

"Emma?" It was David. "What the...holy..." He had just spotted the pack of monsters heading towards them.

"Yeah." She turned to her father with wild eyes. "A monster took Clara and now a swarm of them are heading right for us. Killian told me to take care of it." David studied her for a moment; she was obviously struggling not to panic.

"Where'd he go?" he asked.

"That way," she pointed, making him nod.

"Right. I'll go after Killian and we'll find Clara and bring her home," David vowed. "You deal with them!" He gestured towards the monsters and at Emma's somewhat jerky nod, turned and took off in the direction Killian had gone.

It would occur to them all later that one of the magic users - if not Emma, than Regina - should have gone with David. Maybe things would have ended up differently if they had. But then again, it's not always easy to think logically during an unexpected attack. Decisions had to be made and, for better or worse, they had made them. They'd have to live with the consequences of those decisions later.

For now, they had some monsters to destroy.

* * *

Killian had never been more grateful for the sound of his daughter's screams. It was a terrible thought; he knew it the moment he thought it. If it were up to him, Clara would never have a reason to scream at all. He couldn't bear hearing sounds of such horror coming from his daughter.

But on this night, he found himself grateful. He'd heard her scream as he ran and now they were allowing him to track her. He'd gotten a glimpse of them, but they'd soon disappeared from view. But he could still hear her. Curiously enough, the creature seemed to be moving relatively slowly. Almost as if it wasn't used to carrying that much weight. This suited Killian just fine.

Sooner or later, the monster would be forced to land and then? Then it would be able to be killed. Killian had exactly two goals for this evening. First and foremost, to rescue his little girl. And then? Then he would kill this beast.

He usually preferred not to think about his time as a Dark One, but right now at this moment? He'd give just about anything to have those powers back. It would make saving Clara that much easier. He could just wave his hand and his daughter would be safe in his arms, the demon dead.

But no. He would have to do this the old fashioned way. He would save his daughter; that was the only acceptable option here. He couldn't allow himself to consider any others. He was not losing his precious Clara. Not tonight.

Not ever.

* * *

Clara's monster began to fly lower and lower as it approached the big lake. Killian's assumption had been correct: the beast was not accustomed to hauling much weight. Wasn't accustomed to hauling much of anything, but the enchantment that had been placed on it had given it just enough power to be able to do so.

"Oof!" Clara grunted as she was unceremoniously dropped onto the shoreline. It was one of her nightmares come to life and she had never been more afraid. As terrifying as her dreams were, they didn't hold a candle to the reality.

She made a desperate attempt to get away from the monster, who had landed beside her. Its wings disappearing the moment its claws touched the ground; the spell it had been under fading away. "Daddy!" She screamed again. She would not stop screaming. She would scream until she couldn't anymore.

A fresh scream tore out of her throat as she felt something wrap around her ankle and begin to pull her towards the water. It'd been raining the past couple of nights and the shoreline was wet and muddy. She dug her hands into the mud as she had so many times in her nightmares and tried to wriggle her way lose, but it was no use. "Daddy!"

* * *

"Daddy!" Killian picked up his speed as he neared the lake. He'd suspected that this was where the monster was taking Clara and the proximity of her scream confirmed it. He came to the shoreline, his heart seeming to stop in his chest at the sight of his little girl slowly being dragged into the water.

Killian raced towards his daughter and the beast, a roar ripping out of his throat like a battle cry. It got the creature's attention and the beast released his grip on Clara's ankle only to creep over her as if claiming her as its own. The growl it emitted only serving to anger Killian farther. He didn't think he had ever been so furious or so scared. The monster continued to slink forward, its movements serving to slide Clara farther into the water.

Killian slowed, eyes locked on the demon's as his mind raced with thoughts of how to pull the monster away from his daughter without hurting her in the process. He feinted to the right of the creature and then burst forward to its left when it followed his movements, drawing his sword back and driving it into the side of the beast.

The hiss that escaped from the monster sounded otherworldly, but Killian didn't give it much more thought as he dropped down and seized it. Pure adrenaline coursed through his veins as he wrenched the vile monster away from Clara. On his side with his right arm now pinned underneath the monster, Killian punched his hook into its other side and then did it again. Yanking his arm free, he practically jumped back to his feet before skewering the creature with his sword.

He ripped it out and drove it in once more for good measure. Finally satisfied that he has successfully slain the demon, he whipped back around at the sound of a strangled cry for help. He caught a glimpse of two small arms briefly waving frantically before disappearing and wasted no time tossing his bloodied sword on the shoreline before diving in and swimming over to her. He came up behind her and slid his arms under hers, pulling her against his chest.

He swam them back to the shore and dragged her onto the muddy shoreline. She thankfully hadn't yet lost consciousness, so he quickly turned her on her side as she began to cough to ensure that all of the water she'd swallowed came out. "It's okay, darling. It's okay." At this point, Killian had to force himself to take a few deep breaths. "Clara?" He said as she finally stopped coughing.

"Daddy?" She slowly rolled onto her back to look up at him.

"Aye, love." Killian's voice broke as he drank in the sight of his daughter's face. "I'm here. Easy now," he cautioned as she started to sit up. "Take it slowly."

Clara ignored his advice as she scrambled up onto her feet. "Daddy!" She flung her arms around his neck and held on for dear life.

"Clara," he breathed, holding her close. "I've got you, darling. Daddy's got you."

"You saved me!" she cried.

"Of course I did," Killian murmured. "Did you really think I'd let a monster take you away from me? Never. I'll always be here when you need me, lass." He eased her back and placed a series of quick kisses on her forehead and cheeks. "Are you alright?" He looked her over, frantically. He could see some scrapes on her upper arms and her ankle where the creature had grabbed her, but she seemed miraculously unharmed all things considered.

Oh, he would certainly be rushing her home to Emma so she could work her magic and heal her wounds. Or maybe it'd be better just to take her to the hospital instead. He had no doubt in his mind that a battle had broken out at his house once the monsters reached it. It was obvious that that's where they'd been headed. He trusted Emma and the others to take care of it, but he didn't want to take Clara back to a battle ground.

So the hospital it would be. That said, none of her physical injuries seemed terribly serious and that was a humongous relief. At the moment, he was more concerned with her mental state.

Adrenaline had no doubt been coursing through her small body as well, but her recovery from her near drowning had seemed to briefly push the panic aside. Now he watched as the full realization that one of her nightmares had literally come true washed over her.

Killian quickly pulled her close again as she fell apart. She clung onto him with a fierceness that surprised him. Not that he minded. As far as he was concerned, she could hold onto him as tightly as she wished. She buried her face in the juncture between his neck and shoulder and began to sob.

"That's it, sweetheart. Let it out. It's alright." He pressed his lips to the top of her head. "Daddy's got you. You're safe now. You're safe." He repeated it a few more times and was unsure if he was doing it more for her benefit or his own. "Daddy's got you."

His little girl was safe. She was terrified and panicking, to be certain, and who could blame the lass? But she was alive. She was in his arms and she was alive. He cradled her head against his shoulder and kept whispering the words as if in prayer. "You're safe. I've got you. You're safe."

"D-don't l-let g-go," she whimpered through her tears.

"Don't you worry about that, my darling," he promised. "I'm not going anywhere. Daddy's right here." He held her for some time, rocking her gently, before it dawned on him that he should probably get her off of the muddy shoreline. He managed to get to his feet, still holding her in his arms, when he heard a shout.

"Killian!" It was David. Somewhere in his pursuit of Killian and the monster, it had occurred to him to check the big lake. He was relieved to see that his instincts had been right. He hurried over to them. "You found her! Thank God!"

"I found her," Killian nodded, as if to remind himself as well.

"Hey there, little duck," David said gently, putting his hand on his granddaughter's back and giving her a small smile as she turned her head just enough to peek out at him over her father's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Grandpa!" She didn't answer the question, but seemed slightly more comforted by his presence.

"I was just thinking that I needed to take our sweet girl to the hospital to be looked at," Killian told him, turning away from the water as he spoke.

David opened his mouth to respond when a soft growl caught his attention. "What was that?"

He heard Killian draw a sharp breath. "Bloody hell."

"What?" David asked, watching as Killian very slowly raised his hand and pointed to a spot in the grass.

"Looks like we have some company, mate," Killian said, bleakly. There on the grass was not one, but two of the vile creatures. As they watched, two more creeped out of the shadows.

"Huh," David muttered, somewhat aghast. Seeing pictures of the beasts had been bad enough, but seeing them in person and up close was so much worse. "Looks like we do." His hand went to the hilt of his sword.

"Daddy!" Clara gasped, suddenly. "My monsters!" Killian glanced at David warily before turning around to face the water again.

"Bloody hell," Killian repeated, this time with more vehemence. There were at least five of the creatures coming out of the water. David shifted so that he was blocking Clara's body with his own.

"Okay, this complicates things a bit," David acknowledged.

"Aye, it does." Killian agreed, carefully. "Now what?"


	17. Clara's Monsters (2)

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

 **A/N: I'm going to go ahead and apologize in advance for the way this one ends. This one picks up right where the last one ended with Killian and Charming finding themselves surrounded by more of Clara's monsters. If anyone can handle this, surely it's Captain Charming, right? Of course, Clara's presence makes things a little more complicated. I went back and forth on how to have them handle this situation and this felt like the best way to go, all things considered. The next chapter will be dealing with the fallout of this one and Captain Swan will be more in the spotlight, so to speak. But for now, here's some Captain Charming fighting together. Something I wish we'd gotten more of on the show!**

* * *

"Alright, so it looks like we have to kill some monsters," David said. He and Killian were standing in a kind of V formation, keeping Clara between the two of them. "Shouldn't be too difficult. Not for the two of us."

"Aye," Killian agreed. "I think we can take them."

"D-Daddy?" Clara whimpered. "I'm s-scared!"

"I know, Clara," Killian said soothingly, cupping the back of her head with his hand. "But it's going to be alright."

"B-but my m-monsters," she hiccuped. "They w-want to hurt me."

"Don't worry, sweetheart." Fat chance of that happening, Killian thought grimly. This was his daughter's worst nightmare playing out right before her eyes. But he'd be damned if he was going to let these vile creatures hurt her any more than they already had. "Daddy's not going to let that happen. I promise. Neither will Grandpa."

Even in saying that, Killian couldn't help worrying. He didn't doubt his and David's ability to defeat these monsters. He believed that the two of them could indeed handle this. But Clara's presence certainly complicated things a bit.

Bloody hell, it complicated things a lot.

He figured he had two options. The first was to try to battle the monsters while holding Clara in his arms. The second was to set his little girl down in a pit of monsters while he and David fought them. Neither option was all that appealing.

"Uh, Dave?"

"What?" David asked.

"What do you suppose we should do with our girl?" Killian asked, working to keep him voice calm for Clara's benefit.

"What do you mean?" David stepped more to the side to try to get a better assessment of the situation and Killian moved with him. It was almost as if they'd coordinated it ahead of time. "We protect her."

"Obviously." Killian couldn't help rolling his eyes. "I'm just wondering if it might be safer to put her down while we fight. We could try to keep her between us."

"Are you out of your mind?" David asked, though Killian appreciated that his father-in-law was making a point of speaking as if they were having a regular conversation. He evidently didn't want to scare Clara any further either and Killian could only be grateful for that.

"I admit that the thought of putting her down makes my stomach turn," Killian acknowledged.

"No!" He winced. He should've expected that Clara might have some thoughts on the matter. "Don't let go, Daddy!"

"Well, there you have it," David responded, nodding to himself. "Listen, if I can battle the Evil Queen's guards while holding Emma while she was an infant, you can hold Clara while we battle these guys."

"That hardly seems safe, mate," Killian argued, narrowing his eyes as one of the creatures growled at them.

"And putting her down in the middle of a group of monsters does?" David countered.

"No," Killian sighed. "It doesn't. Bloody hell." The fact that he was apparently going to have to fight these creatures whilst holding his daughter concerned him, but he'd just have to figure it out. He shifted her so that she was balanced more on his left side.

"We can do this, Killian," David assured him. "You can do this." Clara's presence concerned him too, but there was nothing they could do about that now. Nothing except do whatever it took to keep her safe. "Don't worry, little duck," he added to Clara. "We'll protect you. Just hold on to your Daddy good and tight, alright?"

Clara didn't answer, but her grip on Killian tightened and she pressed her face back into the juncture between his neck and shoulder. "That's right, little love. I need you to hold on to me. Everything is going to be alright," Killian tried to assure her.

It would be. It had to be. Killian had already sworn to himself that he would not lose his Clara tonight and that was one vow that he intended to keep.

Of course, there was something he needed first. "Uh David?" He said cautiously.

"What?" David asked.

"We do have a tiny little problem," Killian told him. "Another one, I mean."

"Oh? And that would be?" David asked.

"My sword. It's on the ground and it looks like there's a monster standing over it," Killian said.

"Why did you let go of it?" David wanted to know, sounding frustrated.

"I threw it down when I had to rescue Clara from the water," Killian said with a sigh. "I didn't anticipate more of the beasts showing up."

"Alright," David said. "I'll get it. Just be ready for it, okay? Are you ready?"

"Clara, sweetheart? You might want to keep your eyes closed, alright?" Killian felt her nod against him and pressed a quick kiss to the side of her head "That's a good girl. It's going to be alright. I promise." To David he added, "I'm ready."

"Then let's kill some monsters," David replied, focusing in on the creature that was currently standing over Killian's sword. "I think we'll start with you." He informed it, taking a quick breath to steady himself before lunging towards the beast and piercing it with his sword before it had time to adjust. A few slashes and a hard kick later and David was able to swoop down and grab Killian's sword with his free hand.

Just in time too. The other creatures began to swarm in as David thrust Killian's sword into his son-in-law's waiting hand. And the battle began.

* * *

"Get away from my house!" Emma snarled, as she hurled a blast of magic at one of the monsters that was hovering outside of Catalina's window.

The women had made some serious headway against the onslaught of monsters. Out of the corner of her eye, Emma saw Mary Margaret fire an arrow and hit another of the creatures right in the heart, sending it plummeting to the ground. A flash of fire coming from the other side of the house was Regina's most recent contribution to the fight.

"Do you see any others?" Emma yelled to her mother, who scanned the sky.

"No," Mary Margaret shook her head. "Regina?"

Regina came around the side of the house. "No more on my side either. I think we got them all."

"Now what?" Mary Margaret asked, looking back and forth between the other two. "What do we do now?"

"I need to find Clara," Emma said, firmly. "Keep an eye on the sky. I'll be right back."

"I'll...deal with them," Regina said bleakly, waving her hand at the last monster Mary Margaret had shot in the yard. There were a few others that Mary Margaret had hit to deal with, but thankfully the ones blasted by Emma's magic or roasted by Regina's fireballs had disintegrated once hit.

Emma gave her a nod before darting back into the house and up to Clara's bedroom to grab Jolly. The broken window gave her pause. She managed to channel her magic and used it to patch up the window before heading back downstairs.

Instead of heading right outside, she went over to where Catalina and Henry sat huddled together on the couch. Neal had somehow managed to sleep through the entire ordeal, but Catalina had woken up screaming at some point during the battle.

"Are you guys okay?" Emma asked them as she perched on the couch next to Catalina.

"Are the m-monsters gone?" Catalina asked. She had what appeared to be a rather tight grip on Henry's arm.

"Yes, baby," Emma told her. "We took care of them. They're all gone. We're safe now." She could only hope that no more monsters would show up and prove her wrong. "I'm just going to go find Clara, Daddy and Grandpa, okay?" She leaned in to kiss the top of Catalina's head. "Everything's going to be okay. I promise." She got back to her feet and focused on Henry. "Take care of your sister for me, okay?"

"I will," Henry promised. "We'll be okay."

"Okay," she nodded, looking back at Catalina. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you both."

Upon rejoining Mary Margaret and Regina, Emma pursed her lips as she studied her house for a moment. "A protection spell couldn't hurt, huh?" She spread her hands and lifted them, a soft white light filtering out and around her house.

"Perhaps a double protection spell," Regina offered, lifting her own hands to help. "Let's make sure those monsters can never attack your house again."

"Thanks Regina," Emma nodded at her. "Would you mind staying here and keeping an eye on things? Just in case?"

"I'll stay," Regina assured her. "Go find Clara and the men."

"I'll go with you," Mary Margaret told Emma.

"Alright. Are you ready?" At Mary Margaret's nod, Emma turned her attention to the stuffed duck in her hands. "Okay, Jolly. What do you say we go find our little girl?" She let go, watching it hover it midair for a moment before it started to float away and chased it, Mary Margaret right behind her.

* * *

It turned out that using a sword while holding a four year old wasn't quite as hard as Killian had thought it might be. Oh it wasn't easy, by any means. Not anything close to easy, in fact. But he was managing quite well, he thought.

Granted, holding his little girl provided a certain level of motivation. His need to protect his daughter undoubtedly gave him more of an edge which helped him slay the demons. The adrenaline pumping through his system didn't hurt either.

Having David at his side was an enormous help as well. He shuddered to think of how things might be going if David hadn't shown up when he had. They fought well together and David had done a good job of keeping Clara blocked most of the time.

"This isn't so bad," David grunted as he drove his sword into the skull of one of the beasts. It had taken a healthy amount of effort, but between the two of them they'd been able to kill most of the creatures. A few persistent ones remained, however.

"Oh yeah," Killian responded, a snarl on his lips as he slashed at another of the beasts. "I could do this all night."

That was when it happened.

Killian sidestepped one of the creatures and tripped over the tail of one of the others, losing his balance on the mud. He had just enough time to shift Clara as they fell so that he took the brunt of the fall. "Bloody hell," Killian growled, rolling to move Clara away from the monster.

And then he felt one of the monsters sink its teeth into his leg and let out a strangled scream. A second escaping as a claw sliced into his side. He gave a few hard kicks with his foot and shifted enough to swipe back at the monster at his side with his hook. He heaved himself to his knees and swung his sword at the beast, taking care not to hit Clara in the process.

When the creature snapped its jaws at Clara, making her shriek in terror, Killian pounced on it. He rolled with the beast, dragging it away from his daughter.

Clara scrambled backwards on her hands and feet, her eyes wide with fear and panic. She couldn't see her father anymore; he'd rolled as far away with the monster as he could. "Daddy!" She screamed as another monster slowly creeped its way closer to her. Her hand hit a pointed rock as she scooted farther back, slicing her palm. But she grabbed it anyway and flung it at the creature.

It was an instinctive action; one that she didn't remember deciding to take, but that hardly mattered. The rock miraculously pelted the monster between its beady eyes and it hissed angrily in response. The sound got David's attention and he lunged between them, hurling his sword at the creature and delivering a fatal blow in the process. He pulled his sword out of the beast and then stabbed it again to be certain.

David panted as he scanned his part of the shoreline carefully. No more creatures had come out of the water or appeared on the grass on his other side. A shouted curse had him spinning back towards Killian's side and his heart sank as he saw that his son-in-law was currently underneath one of the foul creatures.

But then there was a grunt as Killian drove his hook up into the beast and twisted it. He yanked it back out and managed to shove the dying beast off of him. David ran forward and slammed his sword down into the beast for good measure.

"Ha!" David cried out in triumph. "We did it!" He did another sweep of the area to make sure. "I think we got all of them. We make a pretty good team, don't we Hook?"

Silence.

"Hook?" David turned back to look at him, the smile fading from his lips as he quickly sheathed his sword. Killian was lying on his back in the mud, not moving.

"Daddy?" Clara asked, scrambling over to Killian's side. "Daddy?!"

"Killian?" David frowned as he rushed over to join them. "Killian!"

"Did...did we get them all?" Killian asked, finally. He sounded weak.

"Yeah," David answered, his concern growing even as Killian slowly turned his head to peer at Clara. "We did."

"Clara," Killian breathed. It took just about all of the strength he had left to lift his hand to Clara's cheek. "My beautiful little girl."

"Daddy?" She asked, tearfully. "Daddy, you're hurt!"

"Ssh." Killian caressed her cheek with his thumb. "It's alright, sweetheart. You're safe now." A slow smile spread across his face as he studied his daughter's face. "My precious Clara. You're safe."

"You're hurt!" She repeated, getting more and more upset by the second.

"It's okay, Clara," David said quickly. "Your Daddy will be okay." He dug his phone out of his pocket. "We'll get him help."

"David." Killian tore his gaze from Clara's face to look at his father-in-law. He was fading and he knew it. "I need you to look after Clara." He let out a hiss at the pang in his side. "Take...take care of her for me."

"I will," David promised.

"And Dave?" Killian locked his eyes on David's. "Take care of...of all my girls for me. Please. I need..." He gritted his teeth against another twinge of pain. "I need to know that you'll take care of them."

"Hey, come on now. You're going to be fine," David said, calmly.

"I think we both know that isn't the case, mate," Killian said, weakly.

"You're going to be fine," David repeated, firmly this time. "Your girls and Henry need you and I know that you're not about to leave them."

"Dave..."

"No." David shook his head. "You are going to be fine." He said it slowly, the tone in his voice leaving no room open for debate.

"Aye," Killian said after a long moment. "But humor a pirate, would you? Promise me that...that you'll look after my girls. And Henry."

"I'll keep Clara safe. And I'll always be there for your girls and Henry," David promised. A beat. "I'll keep them safe for you until you get back on your feet. Alright?"

"Thank you, mate," Killian nodded. David returned the nod and then turned to his phone to call the paramedics, turning to give Clara and Killian a little bit of privacy.

"D-D-Daddy..." Clara was crying in earnest now. She knew that something was terribly wrong and she was frightened.

"Don't you cry, my darling," he said, giving her a weak smile. "It's going to be alright. Grandpa will take good care of you. Everything is going to be okay." He brushed away some of her tears with his thumb. "I love you so much. My sweet Clara."

"I l-love you, D-Daddy," she whispered. "D-don't leave me. Please? P-please Daddy! Don't l-leave me..."

"Daddy loves you so much," he told her. "Never...never forget that, sweetheart." Killian's eyes began to droop against his will. "You're going to be okay, my littlest love. Just...just remember that I love you. Daddy loves you, Clara," he whispered. And then everything went dark.

"D-Daddy? Daddy?!" Clara clutched at his shirt, hardly able to see him through her tears. "Daddy, w-wake up! Daddy! Daddy?!"


	18. Clara's Monsters (3)

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

 **A/N: And so it continues, albeit not as quickly as I'd intended. Switching the focus over to Emma and we'll find out poor Killian's fate. Thanks to everyone that's been reading!**

* * *

Emma felt like she was going out of her mind. The events of the last twelve hours had taken quite a toll on her. Not to mention her family as a whole. Everything had gotten so bad so quickly.

Clara had discovered her monsters were real and been kidnapped by one of them. Their home had been under attack by the creatures and they still didn't know what the creatures were, exactly. Or who had sent them.

Emma knew someone had. She knew that they didn't just appear out of nowhere. This was a concentrated attack against her and her family. Oh, other people had gotten hurt over the last few weeks, but Emma couldn't shake the feeling that her family was the prime target. After all, they hadn't heard about anyone else' shone getting attacked. Not to mention that Clara was the only person they knew of who had actually been taken by one of the beasts.

Clara.

Emma's heart hurt at the thought of her younger daughter. Out of everyone, Clara had suffered the most. Her monsters - the monsters that had been haunting her dreams for the past two years - were real. And one of the worst of her nightmares had actually come true. Her getting kidnapped, her getting dragged into the cold water of the lake. Not to mention that her daddy, who she so adored, had been injured by the beasts.

No, not just injured. Almost killed. Killian had very nearly lost his life out on the shoreline.

The thought made Emma's head snap up to focus on her husband, lying asleep in his hospital bed. He was alive, she reminded herself. Killian was alive and Dr. Whale had assured her that he would stay that way. He was expected to make a full recovery.

Emma knew that. She did. But that didn't stop her from getting up from the uncomfortable recliner she'd tried, and failed, to get some sleep in and moving to his bedside. She perched on the side of the bed, facing him.

"Oh Killian," she sighed, reaching out to take his hand in both of hers. It felt warm and solid in her hands and she steadied herself by pressing it to her cheek. "I really wish you'd wake up already," she said quietly.

It was the surgery, Dr. Whale had explained. It had taken a lot out of Killian and the drugs they'd given him were strong. It would take a while for them to work their way out of his system. He'd wake up sooner or later.

And he had woken up briefly in recovery, Emma reminded herself. He'd been very groggy and weak, but he had woken up and spoken to her. His voice had been creaky and he'd been pretty out of it, but he had managed to ask if Clara was safe. Emma had assured him that she was and told him that she loved him. He'd returned the sentiment, but had fallen back asleep soon afterwards and had stayed asleep ever since.

She knew that the sleep was good for him. She knew that he needed to rest so that he could start to heal, but she so wanted to talk to him. So wanted to hear his voice and look into those gorgeous blue eyes of his.

She missed him.

It was a silly way to feel considering that they were in the same room, but that's how she felt. Maybe it was because it'd thankfully been a long time since she'd come close to losing him. And going through the pain of almost losing him again had brought back all the memories of all the times that she had.

Brought back the way it had felt when she'd been standing over his grave after leaving him behind in the Underworld. It wasn't the same. It wasn't anything close to being the same. He was going to be just fine. But no matter how many times Emma reminded herself of that fact, she knew that the ache in her heart wouldn't fade until he woke up.

She needed him. Their children needed him; Clara especially. Another pang pierced her heart at the thought of her little girl. "Oh Clara," Emma sighed. "Mommy's so sorry."

She thought back to the events of the night before. Of successfully battling the creatures attacking her home and using a locator spell on Jolly that had lead her and Mary Margaret to Clara. To the lake.

To a sight that would undoubtedly give Emma nightmares of her own over the next few nights. Maybe over the next few months. It'd been so horrible. Jolly had plopped down in the mud next to Clara, who had been huddled over Killian's unmoving form sobbing and screaming at him to wake up. David was at her side, gently prying her away.

They were surrounded by the dead bodies of Clara's monsters. Emma shuddered at the memory. It'd been like something out of a horror movie.

She'd ran towards them, Mary Margaret right behind her. Her boots had slipped on the mud and she'd nearly skidded into Killian but had somehow managed to stop herself in time. Her hands had gone to Killian's face as soon as she dropped to her knees and tried to wake him. Tried and failed.

Emma had pushed down her panic as David turned Clara so that she was facing him. "Give me some space," Emma had ordered, a twinge of guilt following as she glanced back up at her father. "Please." David had nodded and stood up, walking a still screaming Clara a few feet away towards Mary Margaret.

Emma recalled the way she had summoned her magic, keeping her hands hovered above Killian's body as she started with his head and worked her magic down his body. She'd focused most of her efforts on his leg, which had seemed to be the worst of his injuries. And she'd healed him.

But not completely.

Something had gone wrong. The cuts and scratches that had been on his face and arms had healed just fine. His leg had healed perfectly. It'd been the wound in his side that had been the problem. For some reason, she hadn't been able to heal it all the way.

She supposed that she may have started to give into her panic and that had weakened her magic, but it still didn't make sense. Of course, not being able to heal his side had only made her panic all the more. She'd vaguely been aware of the sound of approaching sirens; David having called the paramedics just before Emma and Mary Margaret had gotten there.

But it hadn't been the sirens that had distracted her from her work. It'd been the sound of Clara's screams. Emma hadn't been able to focus, hadn't been able to think. It'd all been too much for her, her fear for Killian growing with each second that passed. "Clara, baby, please calm down." She'd tried pleading at first.

It hadn't worked.

Clara would not stop screaming. "Please, Clara," Emma had tried again; still her daughter kept screaming. Finally, Emma had reached her breaking point and yelled at her daughter to be quiet. It had come out so much harsher than she'd intended. It'd had the desired effect, however; the shout had stunned Clara into silence.

Emma had never screamed at either of her daughters like that. Not once. Clara had simply gaped at her mother in shock for a few moments, a look of pure hurt on her sweet face. Her chin had started quivering as her eyes filled with fresh tears. She'd then turned her head to weep on David's shoulder. They'd been silent tears; at least, Emma hadn't been able to hear them from where she was.

But she'd seen the force of Clara's tears shaking her small frame as she clung to her Grandpa. Mary Margaret had wordlessly reached down to retrieve Jolly for Clara before putting her arms around her granddaughter and husband.

Emma had tried to push down the enormous guilt she'd then been feeling and tried anew to heal Killian's wound, but her efforts had been futile. By this point the paramedics were rushing towards them and Killian was being loaded onto a stretcher.

Mary Margaret had told her to go in the ambulance with Killian and David said that they'd meet her at the hospital. Emma had nodded and followed the paramedics to the ambulance and climbed in after them. She'd left without saying anything to any of them.

* * *

Upon reaching the hospital, Killian had been rushed off to surgery. Emma had just stood there staring in the direction that they'd taken Killian for a few minutes while she tried to calm down. She'd soon realized that that wasn't going to help anything. She needed to move. And so she did.

She'd known that she should probably head to the waiting room to check on her daughter, but she didn't know if she could face her just yet. Clara had undoubtedly been completely traumatized by the events of the night and what had Emma done? Screamed at her to shut up.

She'd kept imagining that look of absolute hurt that had appeared on Clara's face. Clara had already been terrified at the prospect of losing her father and now she probably felt abandoned by her mother as well. Emma hadn't even looked to see if Clara had been injured. It hadn't occurred to her, not with the way she'd been screaming for her daddy. Emma's primary concern had been for Killian.

Emma didn't know exactly how long she'd wandered around the hospital, but it'd seemed like a long time. But she'd finally found her way to the waiting room and had entered it with a sense of trepidation. She'd been thinking about how to apologize to Clara for shouting at her and to her parents for waiting so long to find them.

Only when she'd entered the waiting room, neither of her parents had been in it. Instead she'd found Clara asleep in Regina's arms. Puzzled, Emma had made her way over to them...

* * *

"Regina? When did you get here?" Emma asked.

"Mary Margaret called to ask me to drive them to the hospital and bring Clara some clean clothes," Regina answered. "I was going to take her home, but I thought that you'd want to see her first." Emma hadn't even noticed that Clara was now in a different pair of pajamas. Not only that, but she looked as if she'd had a bath.

Seeing the look of confusion on Emma's face, Regina explained that she'd decided that a mere change of clothes wouldn't do; Clara had been covered in mud. She'd decided that the emotional trauma Clara had endured was more than enough for the small child to bear. It didn't seem right for her to have to deal with physical injuries on top of it. Well, nothing about what had happened to her seemed right, but even still.

Regina had wanted to do something to help. She couldn't take away the emotional trauma, as much as she wished she could. But she could heal her physical wounds with her magic. And so she had. She had used her magic, literally, to heal those wounds and clean Clara up.

Mary Margaret had still insisted that Clara be looked over by a doctor when they arrived at the hospital, shooting Regina a quick apology. It wasn't that Mary Margaret didn't trust Regina's magic; she just wanted to be absolutely certain that Clara was alright. Regina had waved off the apology. She was pretty sure that she'd removed all of Clara's injuries, but agreed it was best to have her examined just in case she'd somehow missed something.

She hadn't.

Clara was completely healed, physically speaking. Not to mention nice and clean. Her dark hair had been caked in mud when Emma had last seen her, but now it was soft and shining. It was something.

A big something as far as Emma was concerned. A small smile appeared on her face when she saw that Regina had taken care to clean Jolly as well. "Thank you," she said quietly. "How...how was she when you got there? Clara, I mean," she then asked, hestitantly.

"She was very upset," Regina said, carefully. "She was in shock and not really talking. She did ask for Killian." She gave Emma a sympathetic look. "When Mary Margaret explained that he was with the doctors, she started crying again. She cried herself to sleep."

"Oh Clara," Emma sighed, sadly, reaching over to touch her daughter's soft cheek. She looked up at Regina with tear filled eyes. "What if she loses him? She needs her daddy." A pause. "I need him. I can't lose him again."

"You won't," Regina said firmly. "You and I both know how hard he'll fight to stay with you and your girls. I'm sure he'll be fine."

Emma nodded. "What a night this has been, huh? Clara's probably going to have nightmares forever and now Killian's in surgery." Emma's voice cracked. "What about Catalina and Henry? Are they okay?"

"They're fine," Regina assured her. "Your house is fine. We haven't seen any more of the beasts. Catalina's shaken up, but she's okay. Henry's taking good care of her." A small smile appeared on her face. "She was too scared to go back to sleep. He was reading her a story when I left. As for your brother, he slept through the whole thing."

"Good. That's good. I..." Emma trailed off as something occurred to her, "Regina? Where are my parents?" She felt a pit in her stomach at the look on her friend's face. "Regina?"

"Mary Margaret insisted that David be examined when they got here. He sustained some injuries during the battle without realizing it. They're keeping him overnight for observation," Regina told her, lifting up her hand at the look of rising panic on Emma's face. "He'll be alright."

"If he was alright, they wouldn't want to keep him here all night," Emma argued.

"It's just a precaution," Regina assured her. "Mary Margaret's with him."

"Ugh," Emma sighed. "How did everything get so messed up?"

"The same way it always happens with us," Regina shrugged. "David and Killian will be okay. We'll figure out who was behind this and we'll take care of it."

"And what about Clara?" Emma asked. "How are we supposed to get her through this?" There was a pause as they both studied the subject in question. Clara was still asleep, thankfully.

"By loving her," Regina said simply. "By letting her know that she's not alone. It might take some time, but I think she'll be okay. Eventually."

"Eventually," Emma repeated.

* * *

Regina had taken Clara home hours ago and had promised Emma that she'd look after the kids for her. Emma had stopped by to peer in David's room, but the sight of her father asleep in a hospital bed had been too much for her. Mary Margaret sat by his side, holding his hand and saying something to him that Emma hadn't been able to hear. She'd slinked away before her mother could notice her.

She felt bad about it, especially looking back. She still hadn't gone back to check on her father, but her concern had been for Killian. She knew that she probably would have been better off with some company, but she didn't want it.

Well, that wasn't entirely true.

The person whose company she desired was still asleep in his hospital bed. Emma knew she would feel so much better once he woke up. She still had no idea how they would help Clara deal with everything that had happened, but she had faith that Killian would. He was so good in these kinds of situations.

So good at knowing the right words to say. So good at knowing the right ways to support the people he cared about. His love could help his girls through absolutely anything; Emma knew that first hand. He never stopped fighting for those he loved and Emma had no doubts that he would do whatever it took to help their baby girl. To help Emma and Catalina, as well.

"Oh Killian," Emma whispered. She was exhausted and her back was absolutely killing her. All she wanted was to curl up against him and rest her head on his chest. She wanted to feel his strong arms around her, holding her securely against him. Feel his hand stroking her hair and be lulled to sleep by the sound of his heartbeat.

Emma was still holding his hand to her cheek and now she indulged herself by leaning into it and closing her eyes. "Killian."

"Swan." For a moment Emma thought it was her mind playing tricks on her. But then she felt his thumb caress her cheek.

"Killian?" Her eyes flew open as she looked up, letting out a long sigh of relief as she found herself looking into those eyes that she loved so much.

"Hey beautiful." His voice was soft and still a little creaky, but she didn't care.

"Killian," she breathed. "You're awake."

"Aye," he yawned. "It would appear so."

"Are you alright? How do you feel? Do you want me to get a nurse? Or maybe I should page Dr. Whale." Emma's words came out in a rush.

"No need for that. Not just now," he answered, taking note of how worried she looked. "Talk to me, Swan. What's wrong?"

"Nothing! You're awake now and everything will be fine," she said, though she sounded as if she was trying to convince herself of that fact instead of him. "Everything will be fine." Her voice broke on the fine as she found herself crumbling under the weight of everything that had happened. She burst into tears, much to Killian's alarm.

"Emma," he said, quietly. "What is it, love? You can tell me."

"Oh Killian," she sniffled. "Clara got taken and you and my dad went after her. You both got hurt. You and my dad, I mean. Well, actually, he got hurt. You...you almost died." She shook her head at him. "I tried to heal you and I did...to a point, but...you almost died." She pressed a hand to her mouth. "You scared the hell out of me."

"My apologies, my love. I didn't mean to..." He trailed off, not entirely sure what he could say to make her feel better. He wasn't sorry.

Okay, that wasn't completely true. He was sorry that she'd been so worried about him. He was sorry for scaring her so badly. What he wasn't sorry about was doing what he'd had to do to save their daughter.

"There's a part of me that wants to be mad at you," she admitted, though it made her feel guilty. "I've gone through the pain of you losing you so many times. I don't want to go through it again. I can't go through that again. I won't go through that again." She watched him gulp, his eyes full of emotion as he watched her.

Emma had to take a moment to steady herself before continuing. "I want to be mad at you," she repeated. "But how can I? You almost died because you were trying to save our little girl. And you did." Her voice broke again. "You saved our Clara. If you hadn't of gotten there in time..."

"Don't," he said, softly. "Don't say it. The important thing is that I did. Clara's alive."

"Clara's alive," Emma echoed, giving him a quick smile. "She's alive...and she's completely traumatized and she needs you." She sniffled again. "She was so scared for you. When I got to the lake and found you, she..."

"She what?" The question was asked somewhat hesitantly. Clearly Killian knew that whatever Emma had been about to say wasn't good. She knew that what she was about to say would break his heart, but she owed it to him to tell him the truth.

"She was crying over you and screaming at you to wake up," Emma said, as gently as she could. He closed his eyes in response.

"Clara," he whispered, pained.

"I've never seen her that upset." Now Emma was practically whispering. "Not even after her worst nightmares. She loves you so much and she could've lost you. We could've lost you." Emma's chin quivered as she studied him. "Damn it Killian, we could have lost you."

"Aye, but you didn't. I'm right here." Somewhere over the course of their conversation, she'd let go of his hand, but now he brought it back to her cheek. "Look at me, Emma. I'm right here."

"Killian, if you ever scare us like that again, I swear..."

"I have no intentions of going anywhere," he cut in gently. "I assure you. I'm sorry I scared you. Come here." He opened his arms, wincing a little at the ache in his side, and she leaned forward to hug him as best she could. The hospital bed made it pretty awkward, but it was something. It would have to do for now. She kissed his cheek a few times before easing back enough to kiss his lips.

"I love you. You know that right?" she asked, tearfully.

"I do, yes," he smiled at her. "And I love you." Emma pressed her forehead to his, ignoring the twinge of pain in her back. She closed her eyes and let herself take comfort from the contact, though it wasn't nearly enough. She couldn't wait until she could hug him properly, but at the moment this would do. She savored it for another few moments before pulling back.

She worried her lip as she studied him. "What is it, love?" he asked.

"Do you think I'm a bad mother?" She had actually been thinking about how to tell him about the attack on their house, but it was as if her mouth had suddenly developed a mind of its own.

"What?" The question had completely thrown him for a loop. "Why would you even ask me that? You're a wonderful mother."

"Am I? Our house got attacked by a bunch of those monsters," she told him. At the look of horror on his face, she quickly added, "I took care of it. Well, me and my mom and Regina took care of it. The house is fine. Everyone is fine."

"Okay," he said slowly. "How exactly does defending our home make you a bad mother?"

"It doesn't," she acknowledged. "But immediately going after you and Clara without bothering to check on Catalina first might."

"Was Catalina hurt?" He asked, worried.

"No, no. The monsters didn't get in the house. We made sure of that," she assured him. "But they woke Catalina up. I was about to go after you right away when I heard her scream and that's when my dad saw the first monster by her window. She was scared and probably needed her mother. But I had to deal with the monsters."

"Well, of course you did," he said, still confused.

"I should have checked on her before I left," she nodded to herself. "But I was so worried about Clara. Even though you and my dad had gone after her. And I knew you would do whatever it took to save her. But..." Emma's face screwed up as she remembered the way it had felt to watch that monster drag Clara away. "But Clara had been taken."

"So you wanted to save her." It was Killian's turn to nod. "Just like I did. Am I a bad father for chasing after her, then?"

"What?" Emma asked, stupidly. "Of course not! Clara was in danger. She -"

"That's right," Killian interrupted her. "Clara had been taken by a horrible, vile monster. And Catalina was safe in the house. I trust that you didn't leave her there by herself."

"Well, no. Henry was with her and Regina stayed," Emma said.

"So you left our daughter in the care of her older brother who loves her and one of the most powerful magic wielders that we know," Killian recapped. "That doesn't sound so terrible to me. Especially considering that our other daughter's life was in danger."

"Okay," Emma agreed. "Maybe that's not so terrible. But how about this? When I got to that lake and saw our sweet baby girl sobbing over your lifeless body, what did I do? Did I try to comfort her? No! No, I didn't."

Emma's eyes were shining with tears as she went on. "I was so worried about you, so worried that we were about to lose you, so my first thought was how to save you."

She held up her hand when he opened his mouth to say something. "I know. Trying to save your life doesn't make me a bad mother. But screaming at her to shut up does! And yeah, that's exactly what I did. She was in hysterics and terrified and all I could do was scream at her to be quiet so I could concentrate." She let out a burst of laughter, completely devoid of any humor. "So what do you think of me now?"

Killian didn't say anything for a long time. Emma closed her eyes and lowered her head, bracing herself for whatever he would say. He was so protective of Clara that she was half-expecting him to yell at her. She wouldn't have blamed him.

But he didn't. The thought to do so hadn't even entered his mind. Not when he could see how horrible she felt about it. Not when he understood how frightened Emma herself must have been.

"What I think," he began finally, his voice surprisingly tender. "Is that this was a horrible situation to be in. You were upset and angry and scared." Killian gently tilted her face back up towards his. "That doesn't make you a bad mother, love. It makes you a human one."

"Clara didn't deserve to be screamed at like that," Emma argued, weakly.

"No, she didn't," Killian agreed, simply. There was no anger in the words.

"I didn't mean to do it," Emma sniffled. "I just...I'd tried to get her to be quiet a couple of times and she was too upset to and I just...I just snapped. I didn't mean to yell." She shrugged helplessly, her eyes pleading with his. "It just...happened." She let out a huff of air. "How lame does that sound?"

"Not lame, Swan," he shook his head. "It's like I said. It just means that you're human."

"You should've seen her face," Emma whispered. "She was so hurt." Another sniffle. "She just stared at me for a few seconds looking so small and so wounded and so incredibly hurt. Oh Killian. I don't know how to make this better."

"It'll be alright," he said, soothingly. "You and Clara will be alright."

"We might be, but will she? She's suffered so much, Killian. How do we get our baby through this?" Emma asked.

"I don't know yet," he said, truthfully. "But we will. We'll figure it out. We'll get her through this. She'll be alright. I promise you that."


End file.
